Never Gonna Be Alone
by B of Ericaland
Summary: The curse has been broken, but will emma or regina get their happy endings... Swan Queen/Remma.
1. Cold As You

DISCLAIMER:: don't own anything, because if i owned the evil queen/regina/lana parrilla it would be dangerous

A/N:: swan queen is my new obsession thanks to an extremely well written fic by Dashed. that fic has inspired this, my new baby.

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She wasn't quite sure what she had gotten herself into here. Sure, now that the kid had tracked her down and inserted himself into her life, she couldn't exactly get back in her car and drive off into the sunset as if none of this had ever happened. She was involved now, whether that had been her intention or not.

It was like some crazy nightmare. A kid shows up on your doorstep claiming to be the child you gave up a decade prior, and if that isn't outrageous enough, he also claims fairytales are real, you're Snow White's long lost daughter and his adoptive mother is the Evil Queen. Yep, crazy nightmare.

But she'd felt something the second she'd crossed the city limits into Storybrooke. A sense of… belonging, of rightness. That feeling you get when you know you're in the right place at the right time. She'd originally pushed that feeling aside. That was until she'd met Regina, Henry's adoptive mother. There was something about the older brunette that stirred something inside her. A sense of fear, of recognition, of something deeper. And she'd seen quite the same response in Regina's gaze. Regina seemed to know her, though she could tell that the older woman couldn't recall from where, just as she had no clue where she knew her from either.

"You're positive this is all you own?" Mary Margaret looked between her and the minimal amount of boxes she'd strewn across the living room floor.

Emma shrugged. "What can I say? I like to live simply."

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded. "Do you need any help?"

Emma smiled and shook her head. "No, I think I can handle a few boxes. Thanks anyway."

"Can I at least make you some tea?"

Emma nodded as she headed up the stairs. "That would be wonderful. Thanks."

She set the box down in the spare bedroom, on the bed, and crossed to the window, staring out at the street below. Everyone walking by looked like normal humans, but she felt herself wondering if the little boy and girl prancing by were Hansel and Gretel. She turned away from the window, rubbing her temples. She could not let this kid's, her kid's, crazy theory be getting to her head. She was here to protect Henry from Regina, nothing more. She didn't really believe that everyone in this town was a fairytale character.

She turned back towards the door only to find her path blocked by one Regina Mills. The brunette was staring darkly at her, one of her boxes in her arms.

Emma reached out and grabbed the box from her arms, setting it next to the other one on the bed. "What can I do for you, Madame Mayor?"

Regina traced her fingers along the frame of the modest little guest bed that was now to be Emma's. "You could leave town."

Emma sighed. "We've discussed this already; I'm not leaving." Figuring that was it, she turned to the first box on the bed, the one Regina had brought up. She lifted the lid and pulled out the item on top, a small blanket, smiling to herself.

She heard someone clear their throat and turned to see that Storybrooke's mayor was still standing just inside her doorway. She was looking at the blanket in Emma's arms. She raised an eyebrow.

Emma set the small blanket on the bed and looked down at it affectionately. It was white with royal purple ribbons weaved all around the sides. A white silk patch with an word embroidered in the same color as the ribbons adorned the surface. She traced the four embroidered letters with the tip of her finger. "It was the only thing with me when I was found. That's how they knew what my name was." She let herself get lost in the memory for a few more seconds before she realized who was in the room with her, who she was talking to.

"I'm sorry, Madame Mayor, you wanted something?"

Regina looked between her and the blanket and back again. "Just stay away from Henry." Her words were meant to be malicious, but there was no threat behind them. She glanced one more time at the blanket and then left the room.

Emma stared after her, confused as to why a little baby blanket had such an effect on the cold hearted older woman.

"I saw our favorite person departing in a rush." Mary Margaret threw over her shoulder as the blonde descended the stairs. "What'd you say to her?"

Emma shrugged. "I didn't say anything. I was unpacking my boxes and I came across my baby blanket. She took one look at it and she…"

Mary Margaret glanced over her shoulder. "What?"

"She almost looked as if… but it's impossible… it was as if she recognized it." Emma couldn't suppress her confusion. "But that's impossible. How could she have seen it before? She's older than me, sure, but not by that much. It's not like she's the one who abandoned me on the side of the highway."

Mary Margaret set a steaming cup of tea before her. "All I know is that I've known Regina for a very long time and I've never seen her looked so… spooked before." She shrugged. "It's weird. I thought no one could intimidate Regina. Until you."

Emma sighed. "I'll go by and talk to her after I've unpacked." She took a sip of the tea and her mind wandered back to the distracted look on the mayor's face as she'd looked at the blanket. What had spooked Regina?

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She stared up at the big white house and sighed. This would not be a pleasant experience. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know Regina would not be happy to see her; she never was, not since the first night when she'd brought Henry back from Boston. Regina had been welcoming then, almost inviting, until she'd mentioned the book. She'd seen the confusion and shock behind Regina's calm exterior and she'd known she'd hit on something. But what was it? Fear. No, that couldn't be it. What would a woman so practiced in the art of intimidation such as Regina Mills have to fear about a stupid children's book?

She approached the door, the gleaming gold numbers 108 staring at her, taunting her. She could still turn around. Maybe she could just wait until she ran into Regina in town, mention it then, in passing. That was definitely the safer option, but not necessarily the responsible one. And wasn't that what she was trying to prove? That she was a responsible, mature adult? Nothing like a teenager who makes a mistake that nearly ended her education and did end her relationship. But that same girl ten years ago had refused to hold the little squalling boy for more than a brief second before giving him over. It had been the mature adult thing to do. She was an eighteen year old, who'd barely scraped by with her high school diploma, about to be kicked out on the streets by a system that had never done her any favors. He deserved more than she had been ten years ago; she knew that then and she knew it now. So maybe she'd been more of an adult than she'd always thought. She had to be. Self-reliance and maturity went together like peanut butter and jelly.

"Are you going to stand on my porch all night or were you planning on knocking anytime soon?"

Startled nearly out of her skin, Emma turned to see Regina behind her, car keys in hand, holding a duo of grocery bags.

"I came by to…" She was surprised into silence when Regina deposited the bags in her arms so that she was free to unlock the door.

Emma followed her inside and back to the kitchen. She set the bags down on the counter and leaned against it. "Listen, Madame Mayor, I…"

"Came by to tell me you're leaving?" Regina dug in the first bag and pulled out milk and eggs, carrying them over to the fridge.

Emma frowned. "No."

Regina raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and went back to the bags, pulling out a loaf of bread. "Well then I don't really see why you're here, Miss Swan." She leveled Emma with a look. "What could you possibly have to say to me that I might be interested in hearing?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry." Emma gave her a hard look right back and stormed out. "Have a nice day, Madame Mayor."

Regina stared after her, for the first time feeling just slightly guilty that she had been so harsh.


	2. Dead And Gone

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: another update because i stayed up the whole night last night writing all but the last two chapters. just felt very inspired by recent events in my life. not to mention the extremely gorgeous lana parrilla who i would so turn for. just sayin'. probably another update tomorrow as well if i feel so inclined. i really like the next few chapters after this, some of my best. oh and have no fear, the baby blanket will make its appearance again. it is quite significant. enjoy and review, please.

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"Emma, I…"

"Save it. He's dead. Nothing you can say is going to help. It won't bring him back. It won't change anything."

Mary Margaret flinched. She knew Emma didn't mean to be harsh. Her heart was hurting and, as a result, it was making her lash out. Oddly enough, she reminded Mary Margaret of Regina in that regard. Lashing out often was a disguise one pulled over themselves to distract from what they perceived as weakness. She stared at the blonde laying on her bed, her back to the door. She didn't want the outside world to see her pain, that much was obvious. "You should talk to somebody Emma. It doesn't have to be me, but don't let this consume you… don't become her."

Emma was shocked. She turned to respond but the teacher had already gone from her doorway.

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"What are you doing here?"

Emma looked up abruptly. Regina was standing near her, flowers in her hand.

"I cared about him too Regina. Do you really have to a bitch _here_?"

Regina's anger seemed to melt away. "I didn't mean it how it sounded." She walked over to the newly installed headstone and crouched, depositing the flowers at its base. "I've known Graham for a very long time. I'm not used to sharing his attention, or his affections."

Emma frowned. "I'm sorry I hit you."

It had been just a week since the confrontation in the cemetery and Graham's unexpected death but Regina's split lip had already healed. She saw the bruise on Emma's face had not. "I shouldn't have hit you either."

Emma looked back at the gravestone. She didn't say she shouldn't have hit Regina, just that she was sorry she had, but she wasn't about to tell Regina that, not when she was being somewhat nice. "Mary Margaret seems to think I need to let it out or I'm going to get consumed by this."

"Are you?"

"I don't know." She ran a hand through her blonde hair. "It hurts. When you lose someone…." She sighed. "I can see you're a lot like me. We don't let people past the wall that often. It happens, but only rarely, because we've both seen enough of life to know that people leave, often when you least expect them to. We both let Graham in and we both lost him." She stood, brushing the leaves off her jeans and then met Regina's gaze. "We may have our differences, but I know you miss him just as much as I do. So, for what its worth, I'm sorry for your loss." She turned to leave Regina her time alone with him.

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All cordial conversation at the cemetery had been forgotten the second Regina backed Sidney Glass. It wasn't that she hadn't expected it, or that she'd expected Regina would not try and stick one of her little ass-kissers in as the head of the station, but firing her? Really? Even if Regina was set on taking the position of Sheriff from her, she liked the job she did have and what harm could she really do as Deputy? And then, to rub salt in the wound, she had smeared her past across the front page of the newspaper. She had already been at a disadvantage by not being in town for more than a couple months, but she really had to stoop to that level? Well it _was_ Regina she was talking about.

And then, in the stairwell. She had saved Regina. She had seen the fear in her eyes when the older woman had realized she couldn't move. It had changed how she saw the woman. Maybe Regina wasn't such a hard-ass after all. She was human. Underneath the cold disdain and the disparaging looks, she actually had a soul capable of feeling. It had been short lived, but it had been there.

She'd felt a small amount of satisfaction when Regina had given her that badge in Granny's. It wasn't about winning, but that Regina had finally been impressed with something she did… even if it was unintentional. Regina had seen bravery in Emma's defying Mr. Gold and that made Emma feel proud for a reason she couldn't explain.

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"Where is it?" She shuffled through the papers on Graham's desk and dug through his drawers one by one.

"Knock, knock."

She looked up to find the mayor standing in the doorway to Graham's old office…her office now. Regina looked as intimidating as she always did.

"Please make this quick Regina, I'm tired and now that Graham is… my days start much earlier."

Regina hesitated, her rage deflated, though whether from the mention of Graham, the defeated tone of Emma's voice, or the fact that Emma had called her by her first name, she didn't know. Finally she collected her senses. "I'm tired of fighting Miss Swan."

"And?" Emma prompted.

"I want a truce… with you."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Why now?"

Regina sighed and sat down in the chair beside her desk. "Miss Swan, Henry believes we are all fairytale characters, and I'd like your help to rid him of such notions, as a united front."

Emma frowned at her. "What makes you think I have any more sway with him on that subject than you do?"

Regina rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. "Miss Swan, you're not from here; you're not in the book. Of course the Evil Queen would try to convince him that she doesn't exist, but you… you have nothing to lose from proving this is all ridiculous. But maybe you have something to gain. Like Mr. Gold, Miss Swan, I can be a formidable enemy, but I can be an amazing ally."

"Henry." Emma leveled her with a glare.

"Excuse me?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I want time with Henry."

"We're not negotiating custody here Miss Swan."

"If I am going to convince him that you're not a monster, don't you think it'll be a little difficult if you drag him away the second you see us in the same vicinity? You need to loosen the leash a little, find a reason to not be able to pick him up after school. It'll give me a chance to walk him home."

Regina's jaw clenched and unclenched as she held back the anger that was seizing her. She wanted to fight, Emma saw it in her eyes, but she also could see the logic in the blonde's argument. How could Emma convince Henry of anything if she couldn't get within two feet of him at any given time?

"Fine, Miss Swan. I will find some reason to stay late at work. However, make sure you wait a few days before conveniently showing up after school to walk him home. Henry is a bright boy, he'll catch on easily if we don't work this perfectly." She stood. "I trust even you can't mess this up Miss Swan. Henry forgets all this fairytale nonsense; your life becomes a whole lot easier. Do we have an agreement?" She extended a perfectly manicured hand.

Emma studied her for a long moment before taking her hand and shaking it firmly.


	3. The One That Got Away

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: as promised, here's another update. this chapter is going to really set the tone for what brings regina around. i just finished chapter 20 so i'm good on updates for whenever i get computer time. hope everyone enjoys! reviews are always appreciated.

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"Where's your mom kid?" Emma smiled at Henry from her place leaning against the chainlink fence across the street from the school.

Henry just smiled and shrugged. "She has some work that's keeping her at the office overtime."

Emma smiled. "Well her loss is my gain. What do you say we go grab a burger at Granny's? I have some ideas for a new deputy and I need you to help me find out who they are. Plus, we need to have a serious discussion about Operation Cobra. I think you may be right about your mother."

Henry nodded, his hands wrapping firmly around the shoulder straps of his backpack, pulling it tight against his back as he fell in to step beside her.

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Henry bit into his burger. "S Wharm Thr Plhn?"

Emma frowned. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

Henry rolled his eyes and made a dramatic show of swallowing the bite he was chewing. "So what's the plan?"

Emma looked at him warily, not sure how he would take things. "I want you to return the book to Mary Margaret, where any spies can see. I'll have her bring it home where I can keep it safe, but it must look like you're returning it to her, like you have no interest in it anymore. I also want you to quit discussing the fairytales with Archie."

"Why? He's on our side."

Emma nodded. "I know Henry, but we have to make this seem as convincing as possible. Your mother has asked me to get you away from all thoughts of fairytales and I intend to make it look like I have."

"Why would you make a deal with the Evil Queen?" Henry looked slightly hurt.

"Because, she's a good ally right now. Pretending you're over the fairytales is going to give her a false sense of security. She's going to stop watching us so closely, and when she does, we'll be ready. Then we'll kick Operation Cobra into full gear. We need to buy time while we figure out exactly how I'm supposed to go about breaking the curse."

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"Yes, I'll send it right over." Regina looked up as Emma entered, holding up a finger for her to wait just a moment. "My appointment just walked in. Of course. Have a nice day." The second she hung up the phone, she stood, prowling around her desk like a panther, all lethal grace. Her eyes held just a flash of danger behind the amusement and obvious merriment. "It's working! I have to hand it to you Miss Swan, when you say you're going to do something, you do it. I'm impressed. Maybe we're more alike than I originally thought."

Emma grinned. "So it's working then?"

Regina nodded. "Dr. Hopper says Henry told him fairytales are for babies and Miss Blanchard has informed me that Henry returned the book." She clapped her hands together in delight. "This is wonderful!" She gave Emma the first genuine smile she'd graced her with in a while. "What did you say to him? It's only been a month. I assumed it would take longer."

Emma shrugged. "I told him that in fairytales the characters don't die of things like heart attacks. I told him Graham said fairytales weren't real just before he died."

Regina's legs nearly went out from under her and Emma reached out and held her steady. "Are you okay?"

Regina looked into her eyes and for a moment Emma saw remorse. Remorse for what? Then the cold front was back and Regina pulled away from her. "Is that really what he said?"

Emma shook her head. "Graham saw the truth right before he died. He knew who he was, who you are. He remembered."

Regina glared at her. "So you believe it's true?"

Emma nodded. "I know it's true."

"Then why would you agree to help me convince Henry otherwise?"

"Because I don't believe you would have brought everyone here to a new world only to make it into your world. If you changed things, it's because you wanted change, not just a new version of the same existence. I don't think you want to be evil here."

Regina frowned. "Is that so?"

Emma shrugged. "What does it matter what I think?"

Regina grinned. "You're catching on quickly Sheriff."

Emma gaze steeled over. "Whatever." She knew the whole truce idea wouldn't last. "No, I get it okay? I can take a hint."

"Sheriff Swan." Regina took a step forward.

Emma shook her head. "You know what? Save it." She held up a hand to effectively end the conversation and turned to go.

"Emma." Regina grabbed her arm.

Emma turned back.

"Thank you, for bringing Henry back to me, for making him come around." She managed a sad smile. "He's calling me 'mom' again."

Emma frowned. Sometimes there was such warmth behind the gaze of the older woman, but the moment she noticed it, Regina would retreat. She did that now as she released her arm and put the desk between them again.

"I know you were lying."

Regina turned abruptly and narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"My second day in Storybrooke I asked you if you loved him. You told me of course you loved him. You were lying."

Regina stepped around the desk and back up to her. "He wasn't the child I originally wanted, but that doesn't mean…"

Emma frowned. "You wanted her." That would explain everything.

Regina's gave her a confused expression. "Who?"

Emma smiled. "I'll bet you searched for her for years. That's why you were trying to adopt a child. You wanted her back." She beamed, satisfied that she'd put it all together. Regina had wanted the baby that had escaped her curse. Regina had been searching for _her_. "You searched for her for eighteen years. Why?" Emma backed away from her.

"Miss Swan…"

"No! I need to know. It's important! Was it just to kill her? Or maybe it was to trap her here?"

Regina frowned and rubbed her temples. "I wanted the baby because, first and foremost, she belongs here, with us. She was never a part of the world outside; she probably felt lonely, like she didn't belong her whole life. I know what it's like to have no place Emma; I know what loneliness feels like. And there is a small part of me that felt as if they owed me that. I lost everyone I've ever loved to create this life here in Storybrooke. I wanted someone."

"So why Henry then?"

"She was eighteen by then, un-adoptable even if I had found her. What was I supposed to do?"

Emma saw the logic, saw the truth to her statement, but there was still a small part of her that felt just as abandoned as she'd felt when she'd learned that her parents had deposited her on the side of the freeway, though she figured, with her newfound knowledge, that wasn't exactly their fault. "Not give up on her!"

Regina's eyes shot up and she flashed Emma a questioning look. "What?"

Emma shook her head. It had been a stupid emotional outburst. "Forget it. I'm gonna go, okay? I can come by tomorrow and we can decide the best way to go about deterring Henry from changing his mind about finding out how to break the curse."

"Miss Swan!"

The blonde lifted her gaze to the dark eyes and she melted in the smoothness of those eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Emma smiled to reassure her and shook her head again. "Really, it's nothing. I just think you're right about her feeling lonely. She's probably out there, at this very moment, feeling alone." She turned and walked to the door. "Goodnight, Madame Mayor."

"Goodnight Sheriff."


	4. The New Girl In Town

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: another update because i had a pretty awesome day and i wanted to pay it forward. thanks to all the reviewers. i greatly appreciate it. makes me smile.

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"I still haven't quite figured out how I'm supposed to break it." Emma looked uncertainly at Henry.

They were at his castle. It had become their go-to place to discuss Operation Cobra.

"Well, how'd you break it with Graham?"

Emma frowned. "We… Oh God."

Henry frowned. "What?"

"Kid, I care about you, and the people here. But if that's how to break the curse then everyone's going to be cursed for a very long time. I'm not going to walk around kissing everyone."

"Maybe it wasn't the kiss itself. Maybe it was Graham forming a connection with you. Maybe you just have to connect with someone, on whatever level."

"Great." She had never been good at forming connection with people. Every time she tried, something went awry. "So the way to break the curse is to do the one thing I've been horrible at my entire life. No problem." She sighed. "I think I would have been better off if I'd had to kiss everyone."

"Maybe you just need to practice on someone."

Emma's mind flashed briefly to Regina. They already had somewhat of a connection, through Henry. And it couldn't hurt to make an effort to strengthen their truce. "Practice… I can do that."

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"What are you doing here Miss Swan?" Regina didn't even deign to look up from the paperwork she was sorting through.

"I…" What was she doing here again? She couldn't even remember. Not that Regina gave her the chance.

"I'm a busy woman Sheriff. I don't have time to deal with your inept musings." Regina glared up at her.

"You don't have to go off on me, okay?" She narrowed her eyes at the dark woman behind the desk, anger making her remember the item in her hand. She strode forward. "I just came to return your shirt." She set the garment in question down on the desk and turned, stalking out of the room just as fast as she'd come.

Regina stared after her. Once she was sure the blonde was gone, she looked at the shirt. She leaned forward, reaching across the desk and plucking the muted blue silk from its spot. She brought the fabric to her nose and inhaled, smiling as the smell of Emma filled her nostrils. She turned her chair towards the window and watched as Emma Swan exited the building and strode angrily down the pathway.

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"Ugh! She _infuriates_ me!" Emma paced across the length of their small living room.

Mary Margaret watched her from the couch, back and forth, back and forth. Finally she sighed. "Emma, don't you think she's getting to you for a reason?"

"Yeah, she's Henry's _evil_ adoptive mother."

"That's not it and you know it. Short of giving you joint custody, she's completely loosened up about you seeing Henry."

Emma couldn't argue with that. She now saw Henry for a couple hours everyday after school. Sometimes they even seemed as if they were, albeit dysfunctional, a family. "It makes me mad that she almost seems to… let me in and then just as quickly, she's pushing me right back out. I'm getting no traction."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Tell her you want to be in her life too."

Emma stopped abruptly and stared at Mary Margaret, her mouth hanging open. "Excuse me?"

The brunette rolled her eyes and got up off the couch. "The mayor may be oblivious to human emotions Emma, but it's obvious you want Regina in your life."

Emma frowned. Was that true? Did she want to be something more than just "the other mom" to Regina? "I don't know what to do."

Mary Margaret shrugged, moving into the kitchen. "Show her she doesn't hold all the cards." She grabbed the tea kettle to fill it with fresh water. "Do you want some tea?" But when she turned around Emma was gone and the front door was wide open.

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She looked up at the stars as she came through the front gate, almost asking them for guidance. This was bold; she knew it. But she'd never lived her life on the easy road. With purpose, she strode up to the door. She rang the doorbell before she could convince herself that this wouldn't work. She'd just tell Regina the truth. What's the worst Regina could do? Be cold and cruel? Nothing she hadn't faced before when it came to Storybrooke's mayor. Luckily, Regina answered the door, not Henry. "Miss Swan?"

"I need to speak with you. It's important. Can we talk privately?" She shifted uncomfortably.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Let's go up to my office."

Emma nodded and practically bolted up the stairs to Regina's home office on the second floor. It was a second before Regina caught up to her and closed the door.

"What's this all about?"

Emma wrung her hands together nervously, pacing without noticing she was doing it. "I… would like it if we could have a better relationship. All the warring in front of Henry is not good for him. We called a truce and it's time we start acting like it."

Regina moved to the front of the desk and crossed her arms. "Really? That's what you're bothering me with?"

"I want this bullshit to stop right now Madame Mayor, or else!" She stopped pacing two feet in front of Regina.

Regina stepped toe to toe with her, invading her personal space with such ease it was as if she belonged there. "Or else what? Don't presume to threaten me with an empty arsenal Sheriff Swan."

Upon later reflection, Emma wasn't sure what made her do it. One moment she was crafting the perfect verbal bitch slap in her mind, the next she was literally bitch slapping the brunette.

Regina's hand flew to the red spot on her cheek, her eyes narrowing once the initial shock had passed. She slapped Emma right back with such force that Emma's head felt as if it would twist right off her neck. Her mouth fell open and she smacked Regina right back yet again. This time when Regina was about to smack her back, Emma caught her wrist mid-swipe, and leaned in, crashing their lips together with a ferocity that forced Regina back against her desk. Her arm fought against Emma's seizure of it, but finally, defeated, she stopped resisting and Emma released her grip. She easily lifted the mayor onto her desk, her hands sliding up and down lean thighs. Regina's hands were weaved in Emma's golden locks.

Finally Emma pulled away. She smirked. "It seems my arsenal isn't as empty as you assumed." It took every ounce of will she had left to turn and walk from the room as nonchalantly as if nothing had just happened between them.

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Emma knew she'd seek her out eventually, though whether to bring hell down upon her or to just say how inappropriate it'd been, she had no idea. It took her until noon the next day to do so. She entered the station quietly, looking very unlike the normally straight-backed and dignified Regina.

"Rough night?" Emma got up from her desk and strode out to meet her near the deputy's desk, the place that used to be hers.

"I couldn't really sleep after you left."

The silence stretched between them for several long moments, neither making eye contact or speaking.

"I don't think I'll ever understand why you hate me so much." Emma sighed.

"I don't hate you Miss Swan."

Emma laughed dryly. "If this is your idea of how to treat someone you like, I'd hate to learn what you do to people you hate."

"I resent you, there is a difference."

Emma stopped and focused on Regina. "Why resent me? What are you jealous of? You have everything."

"I have nothing! I have wealth, sure, but it means little. I give Henry the best of everything, yet he still prefers your company. And Graham… you waltz into this town and within a week everyone loves you more than they've ever loved me for nearly three decades! They don't remember who I am, but somehow they still treat me the same. I resent you, Miss Swan, because you have what I want… happiness."

Emma frowned. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't understand it any more than you do. Until I got here I was a loner; I didn't have friends or lovers. I went to work, did my job and then came home to an empty apartment. I've never been happy! Until now."

Regina finally met her gaze head on. "You like it here? The arrangement?"

"It could be better, but it's the happiest I've been in a very long time."

"It'd be better if you had custody of Henry, right?"

Emma could see she was losing this vulnerability from Regina; she was retreating again. "No. I wasn't cut out to be a single mother. I'm not as strong as you."

Regina eyed her warily. "Why'd you do it?"

Emma smiled. "Kiss you?"

Regina nodded. "Was it just to mess with me?"

"Because I wanted to."

The two women stared at each other for several drawn out moments.

She looked away from the younger woman. "What am I doing here?"

She had said it more to herself than to Emma, but the sheriff answered regardless. "You don't want to feel alone anymore."

Emma's finger traced Regina's bottom lip lightly and she took a chance at a connection and leaned in, kissing her dizzily.

Regina pulled Emma down flat against her, deepening the kiss.


	5. Famous In A Small Town

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: another update for everyone. just a fair warning that the next few chapters will show a serious attitude change in regina. it's been six months after all.

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SIX MONTHS LATER

Emma wrinkled her nose in dismay as the dream receded and the cramp in her right arm came to the forefront of her mind. She let out a small groan and tried to move it, but found she was unable to. She cracked open an eye and found the reason sprawled across her. Regina was draped across her torso, oblivious to her discomfort. She wiggled, trying to wake the brunette, but Regina either didn't care or was in some level of a comatose state.

"Regina, wake..."

A manicured hand suddenly fell across her mouth, silencing her. Regina's body stretched with its usual feline grace and she slipped lazily off Emma and back to her side of the bed.

Emma looked down at her dead arm, wincing as she tried to move it again and it grudgingly began to stiffly oblige. The usual thousand needle pricks feeling of blood rushing back to her limb made her glance at the brunette with half hearted anger. Regina, who's eye was cracked open, only grinned and turned over.

Once her arm had regained normal function, she threw the covers off and sat up on the edge of the bed, looking at the vast array of discarded clothes, trying to determine which were hers. She crouched down lifting up a piece of lacy lingerie. Not hers. She tossed it aside. She had only recovered a sock, her jeans, and her bra when she heard something between a purr and a whimper from behind her. She turned and found Regina pouting from the bed.

"Get back in bed, Sheriff, I'm not finished with you."

Emma raised an eyebrow at the use of her title. "It's the job, right? You have a thing for law enforcement."

Regina grinned. "It's the handcuffs."

Emma gulped.

"I said get back in bed."

Emma shook her head. "Henry will be up in less than twenty minutes to get ready for school. I have to get ready for work, so do you."

"Emma… Bed. Now."

Defeated, Emma dropped her gathered clothes and went back to the bed. The second she slid back onto the mattress, Regina sprawled out across her torso again.

"Comfortable?"

Regina grinned. "Very."

"And what about Henry?"

"He has the day off from school. He'll sleep in, just like we're doing. Then, we'll all have a late breakfast, together."

Emma couldn't help her small smile. "We're going to tell him about us?" She traced the length of Regina's spine with the tip of her finger until the older woman shivered.

Regina kissed her shoulder. "I think it's about time, don't you?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "This coming from the woman who just last week made me hide in her closet because the alarm didn't go off and she didn't want Henry to see me?"

"No, it's coming from the woman who didn't set the alarm purposely so that you'd sleep in and she'd have a very hot reason to be late to work."

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Two days later when Emma walked him to school, Henry walked straight up to Mary Margaret, waiting by the entrance to the building. "My mom is sleeping with my other mom."

Emma's eyes widened in horror. Was he going to continue punishing her forever? And worse, was he going to continue to tell every adult they passed on the street? He'd already announced it to Marco, Archie, Ruby, and Graham's gravestone when they went for a visit the day before.

Mary Margaret looked just as horrified. "Oh, that's… nice. Why don't you go on to class Henry? I'll be right there."

Henry disappeared inside the school and Mary Margaret turned her gaze back to Emma. "So, that's where you disappear to."

Emma shrugged sheepishly. She found it rather awkward discussing this subject with the teacher. It was weird to discuss with your mother that you were having sex with her stepmother. At least Mary Margaret was spared the trauma of knowing who they all really were. "Henry hates me now."

"Give him time; he'll adjust eventually. It's going to take a while to sink in. I mean, he is still under the impression she's the Evil Queen. You're sleeping with the enemy."

Emma sighed. She never had been very good at picking lovers. Henry's father, case-in-point. "I gotta get to work."

"Have a good day."

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Regina stared out the window of her office as she listened to her receptionist droll on about her messages. But her mind wasn't on any of the words coming out of the secretary's mouth. Instead, her mind was on long blonde hair, on light eyes and soft lips. How in the hell had Emma Swan happened? One moment she'd wanted the woman gone out of Storybrooke forever. Now, she couldn't imagine a time when Emma hadn't been here. She fit in so effortlessly for someone who had never had any roots. It was as if she'd been a resident of Storybrooke since Regina had enacted the curse almost twenty-nine years ago. But only one person from the Enchanted Forest had ever escaped and she….

"Mayor Mills?"

She turned back to her secretary. "I'm sorry?"

"Mr. Gold made an appointment with you tomorrow at noon. Shall I call and confirm that that time will be convenient for you?"

Regina felt a lump form at the back of her throat. She just nodded. What could he possibly want? She was finally finding her happiness. Was he planning on taking it away from her?

"And finally, Sheriff Swan called and invited you to dinner at Granny's."

Regina smiled, Mr. Gold's impending appointment momentarily forgotten.

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Emma leaned back in her chair and sighed. What had she gotten herself into? Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke, the Evil Queen from Snow White in the flesh… very, very hot flesh. No, she couldn't think like that. This woman was bent on the destruction of her family's happiness. How was she supposed to confess to Regina that she was the daughter of her arch nemesis? Regina would…what? Go crazy? Be happy? She had no idea how Regina would react to the news. The only thing she was certain of was that she needed to tell Regina. The longer she waited the harder it became. She wanted to tell her that first night they were together. They'd gone back to Regina's from the station, wrapped up in each other. But the right moment had never presented itself and when she'd woken early the next morning, Regina had been quick to rush her off before Henry could catch them. Now, half a year had passed and she no longer believed there was such a thing as a right moment, at least it hadn't clued her in to its existence. But she'd do it tonight; she'd promised herself that morning. They'd sit down to dinner at Granny's where everyone could bear witness if Regina tried to kill her.

Emma got to Granny's first and was surprised to see a new waitress behind the counter. She was in a knee length white uniform dress and a red hoodie zipped all the way up. Her back was to Emma when she entered. When she turned Emma tried to hold back her shock. It was Ruby, but… not. Her hair was down and plain, no makeup adorned her pretty young face. She looked slightly younger this way. It wasn't a bad look, just…different and unexpected.

"Hey Ruby."

"Sheriff Swan, can I ask you something?"

Emma nodded and walked over to the counter. Ruby motioned her even closer, though they had the place to themselves, so Emma leaned across the counter until she was close enough to hear Ruby's whispered voice.

"I'm starting to remember these… things. They feel like memories. But it's not possible."

Emma felt fear grip her heart. This sounded familiar… just like Graham. "What do you remember?"

"A wolf. I was in the woods and I…" A look of complete fear crossed Ruby's features as she looked towards the door.

Emma followed her gaze and her eyes fell on Regina, standing in the doorway, then her eyes traveled back to Ruby. She really did remember.

"We'll talk tomorrow Ruby. I'll come by before work, I promise."

Ruby nodded, grabbed a rag, and started scrubbing furiously at a stain on the counter only she could see.

Emma walked over to Regina. "I changed my mind. Why don't I take you home and cook you dinner?"

Regina raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder at Ruby. "What's wrong with her?"

"Um, I'll explain everything, let's just go home, okay?"

Regina frowned but shrugged. "Okay."


	6. Don't You Wanna Stay

DISCLAIMER:: do not own but wish i did

A/N:: so posting a little early today because i'm going to be rather busy after this and because i'm excited after stumbling across some money i hid 4 years ago (i always forget my hiding places). so, anyone whose read my writing before knows that i like to keep the suspense up and keep you guessing, it's just how my mind functions. the story will get more complex as we venture deeper into the rabbit hole, just a fair warning. thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. always makes my day to hear from you. glad this story is getting such a great response. enjoy!

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"So are you going to explain to me what that was back there?" Regina set her purse on the counter and leaned against the ebony and marble top, studying Emma intensely.

Emma shifted uncomfortably. "Um…"

"Emma!"

Emma sighed. "I was looking for you too okay?"

"What?" Confusion was written across Regina's features.

"You searched for eighteen years before you finally gave up on her. She never did. It took twenty eight years before she found you."

The confusion stayed on Regina's face for a moment before giving way to realization. "Oh."

Emma nodded. "I'm _her_. You were looking for _me_."

Regina shook her head and pushed away from the counter, a hand going to her forehead.

"I think the magic of the tree… it protected me, kept you from finding me even in this world. But my son…"

Regina looked at her. "The blanket. I knew I recognized it. I saw it in the mirror before you were born. When I saw it in your room at Miss Blanchard's, part of me knew, but every time I tried to think about it, my mind would automatically get distracted. The magic is obviously still protecting you." She closed her eyes. "Her daughter. That's why he went for you. Not because you were _his mother_, but because you were _her daughter_, the one who would break the curse." She glared at her accusingly. "You've known this since the beginning and you never thought to tell me?"

Emma bit her lip. "I was scared of how you'd react. I… don't want to go back to how we were before."

Regina rubbed her temples. "And Ruby? What was wrong with her?"

"It's like Graham. She remembers who she was."

Regina looked up at her, shocked. "You're breaking the curse?" She shook her head again, incredulous. "Of course you are, that's what he brought you here for. You're the savior of fairytale kind, is that it? Meant to free them from my evil grasp?"

Emma frowned and took a step towards Regina. "Not intentionally."

Regina nodded slowly. "Maybe this isn't so bad."

Emma's brow furrowed. "How can you say that?"

Regina stepped up to her. "You'll break the curse and things will go back to how they were and I'll have you instead of her. _My_ Emma." Her voice uttered her name as if she were taking possession of it. She leaned in and brushed her lips softly across the younger blonde's.

Emma shook her head and pulled away. "People like us don't get happy endings."

"People like us?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

Emma nodded but didn't explain.

Regina wasn't willing to let her go without a fight. "It was meant to be. She stole my love from me, and then she gave love back to me."

Emma frowned. "This isn't some business transaction Regina; I'm not some sort of payment for what you lost."

"I didn't mean it that way." She reached out, caressing Emma's cheek but the blonde quickly pulled away.

Emma grabbed her red leather jacket off the back of the chair she'd thrown it over. "Whatever. I'm out of here." She made a beeline for the door.

"I love you Emma."

Emma stopped dead. She had always had the ability to detect lies; she prided herself on it. But she detected no falsehood in Regina's statement.

Regina took the hesitation as an opportunity to come around the table. Emma could hear her heels tapping on the floor with every step she took. She closed her eyes until arms slid around her waist. She smiled despite her will screaming at her to stop.

"Regina…" She started to pull away, exasperated, but Regina held firmly.

"You love me too, admit it." Regina's ever demanding tone slid into her ear and she realized much to her chagrin that it had become familiar to her. If the brunette had seemed desperate instead, she wouldn't currently be putty in her hands.

"I don't want to… she is my mother and you did try to kill her… more than once I might add."

Regina smiled. "Well it does give new meaning to hating the in-laws."

Emma pulled free and whirled around. "Not funny."

Regina smirked. "It was a little funny."

Emma shook her head. "No it's not." She kissed Regina softly.

Regina pulled back, just enough to look into Emma's eyes. "You love me."

Emma nodded. "I love you Regina Mills."

"No, you can't!"

Both women looked over to the kitchen doorway in shock just as Henry turned and ran from it.

Regina pulled away and made a move for the door, but Emma grabbed her arm. "Let me, please? I'm the one he thinks betrayed him."

Regina nodded.

Emma put a hand to her cheek briefly and then she went after Henry. She found him in his room, sitting with his back to the door. "Go away." She hadn't even technically entered the room yet, but she ignored his request all the same and closed the door behind herself.

"Henry… I love her."

"She's evil!"

"Not here."

He looked over his shoulder at her.

Happy that she'd gotten his attention, she pressed on. "She started a new life here. She's not evil anymore. Has she attempted to have Snow White murdered? She could at any time. She could make it look like some accident. She wanted a clean slate, a fresh start. She knows who I am, who you are, and it only makes her love us more. She's not the Evil Queen here. She's just lonely. She wants me to break the curse."

Henry looked at her, shocked.

"She wants us to go back with her."

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She opened the door to the parlor to find Regina pacing restlessly. The second Emma closed the door, she was there. "How's Henry?"

"He's fine. It'll take some getting used to, sleeping together was one thing, love is a whole other beast, but he's going to be okay."

Regina nodded, relief covering her face.

Emma pulled her into a hug. "I should get back to the apartment. I have to stop by and talk to Ruby before work."

"Stay."

"I wish I could."

Regina pulled away. "You can. I want you here all the time. It'll be good for Henry if we create a family environment for him. It has to be confusing with you coming and going at all hours of the night. Stay. Permanently."

Emma shook her head. "Regina… it's too soon."

Regina chuckled. "You've been occupying my bed nearly every night for the past six months Miss Swan, you're already a resident of this household in deed if not in title."

Emma frowned. This was a big step for her. She was a lone wolf; she always had been. She never let anyone else do anything for her that she could do for herself. She never asked for anything. A part of her wanted this, desperately, but the other half was so afraid of that desperation.

Realizing Emma was struggling, Regina decided to step in. "I love you Emma Swan. I hope you realize how hard that is for me to admit. This curse… I did this for love... because I lost someone I loved." Tears slipped down Regina's cheeks. "I haven't let myself feel love for… anyone, until now. I lost the ability to feel anything but despair… and then you happened! I love you Emma Swan and that scares me. I know you're scared too…"

"I'm terrified." Emma sat down and put her head in her hands. "Like I told you at Graham's grave, I don't let people in." She looked back up at Regina. "It's easier to be alone."

Regina managed a small smile and a dry laugh. "Come now, Miss Swan, I never took you for someone who preferred the easy road in anything." She wiped away the tears on her cheeks as if she just noticed their presence for the first time. Regina, above all else, must remain strong.

Emma studied Regina closely. Regina was so closed off in the beginning. She'd hated Emma because that was the safest path. But over the last six months Regina had proved to have a much more beautiful soul than Emma had ever imagined. Maybe that was the greatest flaw in humanity. No one ever wanted to pause and see what was below the surface. Judgment is easier than acceptance. Hatred is easier than love. Unknowing is easier than the truth. Humanity, nine times out of ten, chose easy. It was time for her to be the one out of ten who didn't. Finally she nodded. "I'll stay."

Regina smiled. She reached out and grabbed Emma's hand. "Let's go put you to bed."

Across town Dr. Archie Hopper had a most curious dream. He dreamt he was a cricket.

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The knock she was dreading came precisely at noon. She took a deep breath and stood as the man strode into the room. "Mr. Gold, please, have a seat." She gestured to one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. He sat down and she followed suit. "What can I help you with Mr. Gold?"

He ignored her question. "You look very… _happy_ today, Madame Mayor."

She smiled genuinely as her mind strayed to thoughts of the night before. Emma had murmured 'I love you' over and over as they were falling asleep. She hadn't felt this way since… It had been a long time. "That's because I am."

Mr. Gold looked thoughtful. "How fortunate for you."

His tone snapped Regina out of her good thoughts. She had almost forgotten who was sitting across from her.

"What is it you want?"

He smiled. "There's the mayor I remember."

She ignored his snide comment and waited for him to continue.

"I assume you know who Miss Swan really is."

"She told me last night. It doesn't matter."

"Then you must also know Miss Swan has a purpose here."

Regina nodded. "To break the curse. I know all about your prophecy." She shrugged. "I've decided that maybe the curse has run its course; maybe it's time to return everyone back to where they truly belong."

Mr. Gold frowned. "You seem to forget that this is a curse… one which is of my own design. I can assure you Madame Mayor, this is a curse you don't want to see the end of."

Regina frowned. "Why?"

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"Emma!"

"We're in here Regina." Emma called out from the kitchen.

Regina found the blonde and Henry sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the book that started it all. She allowed herself a moment to observe them, a moment of peace, before she had to shatter it. "Can I speak to you?" She didn't wait for an answer, just stalked off to the parlor.

Emma frowned and ruffled Henry's hair. "I'll be right back."

She followed Regina into the parlor and shut the door. "What's wrong?"

"I need to know what happened with Ruby today."

Emma smiled. "She's remembered everything. The curse is breaking Regina. I don't know how I'm doing it, but…"

"Stop!" Regina looked as if she were about to be sick. "You have to stop."

"What?" Confusion clouded Emma's face.

"Don't break the curse!"

Emma was taken aback by the desperation in Regina's tone. There was no demand here, no authority. It was a plea.

"Why? What are you afraid of?"

"You. If you do this… if you go through with this, we'll all die."


	7. The Dance

DISCLAIMER:: do not own. if i did gretel wouldn't have been such a bitch to the evil queen. just sayin'.

A/N:: semi-fluffy chapter towards the end. this story has pretty much taken on a life of its own. just wrote chapter 23 and showing no signs of stopping. considering this was originally supposed to be ten chapters, that's pretty crazy, but i've never been accused of being entirely sane. thought you guys could do with another chapter since i will most likely not post tomorrow or wednesday. busy week ahead. read, enjoy, and as always, review.

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She stormed into the pawn shop, slamming the door closed. "Where in the hell are you?"

"Good morning, Sheriff." Mr. Gold came from the back room, calm as ever. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"You lied to her!"

"To whom?"

"Regina."

Mr. Gold nodded. "Ah, yes, our fine mayor. And what, might I inquire, have I lied about?"

Emma shook her head. "Don't play stupid with me. You and I both know the residents of Storybrooke will not die if the curse is broken."

"What makes you so sure, Sheriff? This curse was made to take away happy endings from those perceived to be worthy of them and give them to those the world deems unworthy."

"Exactly, the curse being broken would just reverse the effect. It wouldn't kill everyone."

Mr. Gold studied her for a moment. Finally, he conceded with a brief incline of his head. "Regina will die Miss Swan, as will you. And there will be casualties… just think of the person whose position you filled six months ago."

Emma's breath caught. He wasn't lying. "And Henry?"

"The boy will survive."

"But Regina won't?"

Mr. Gold looked thoughtful. "Regina knew that if the curse broke, she forfeited her happy ending. That Miss Swan, is what I reminded her of yesterday. The other residents will go back, not remembering a thing from what happened to them in this world."

Emma tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat. "And me?"

Mr. Gold stared at her intensely, but she couldn't look away. "What is a hero, if not someone who sacrifices to save others?"

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"Emma?" Mary Margaret looked confused when she answered the door.

"Can I stay here tonight? I know I moved out, but I don't know where else to go."

Mary Margaret nodded and stepped aside to let her in. "Did something happen with Regina?"

"I waited until she fell asleep and then I snuck out. I just can't stay there tonight."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Emma shook her head. "I'm just really tired. Do you mind if I just turn in?"

Mary Margaret shook her head with a smile. "Your room is right where you left it."

"Thanks."

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Before she even opened her eyes she knew Emma had gone sometime during the night. Hoping she was mistaken, her arm snaked out across the other half of the bed and came up disappointingly empty. She pulled on her robe and trudged downstairs, checking the ground floor for any sign of the blonde. She found none. She went back upstairs and opened the closet. The hangers that had held Emma's clothes just yesterday were empty.

"Shit!" She shoved the doors closed. Just three nights ago she had asked Emma to move in. She'd been happy. Then Mr. Gold had to take that from her.

She reached for the phone on the bedside table. There was only one place Emma would have gone. She dialed Mary Margaret's number. After three rings the teacher picked up. "Hello?"

"Is she there?"

"Yes."

"Is she okay?"

There was a pause. "Depends on your definition of okay. She's alive."

"Can I speak with her?"

Again there was a pause. Regina could almost see the teacher holding the phone out towards the blonde and Emma shaking her head. "She's unavailable at the moment."

"Tell her I will just come over if she refuses to speak to me on the phone."

There was a third pause, then, "What Regina?"

"You left… in the middle of the night."

"Wasn't that our old arrangement?"

She didn't think Emma meant to be hurtful but the comment stung all the same. "Come home Emma."

There was a long silence and Regina almost thought the blonde had hung up on her. "I can't. I don't know how I'm doing it, but it always seems to happen whenever I start falling for someone. I think we need to keep our distance."

"So we're breaking up then?"

"No, Regina, we're just taking a step back. If things seem to improve then we'll broach the topic again." Emma couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.

"I love you Emma."

She could hear a choked sob on the other end of the phone.

"She'll have to get back to you, Regina." Mary Margaret hung up before she could respond.

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THREE MONTHS LATER

Regina couldn't believe how lost she'd felt over the last ninety days. She'd felt more alone than she could ever remember being, unable to hide from the empty hole Emma had left in her. She'd been persistent at first, showing up at the station, calling her over to city hall. But it was no use; Emma would be polite but distant. It had the desired effect on the curse though. With the exception of Ruby, no one else had gained their full memory back. The second she'd heard that from Henry, she lost hope that Emma would ever come back to her. She had come to rely on Henry as her go between. Emma never picked him up at the house, they always met somewhere else so that Emma didn't have to risk seeing Regina. The older woman would pick her son's brain about every little detail. How Emma had seemed, was she taking care of herself, was she happy. So it came as an utter shock when he had turned to her last night and said, "You can ask her yourself. She's coming over tomorrow. It's her birthday and she wants to have dinner with us." Sure enough, Emma called later that night to make sure it was okay.

Regina spent the morning cleaning everything to its normal spotless perfection. She put extra effort into her appearance, putting on a new dress for the occasion.

"She'll see right through that."

Regina turned from the mirror on the back of her closet door and looked at Henry. "What?"

"You're overdoing it."

"You think?" Regina turned back to her reflection and suddenly agreed, it seemed wrong somehow.

Henry walked over and disappeared into the walk in. He returned with a dress. "Wear this one."

"But that's so… casual. Emma's seen me in it a million times."

Henry grinned. "Exactly."

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She arrived exactly when she had promised she would. Regina found her hands shaking as she went to answer the door. She opened it with a smile. "Miss Swan. Happy Birthday."

Emma smiled and stepped in, hugging Regina, much to the older woman's surprise. "It's good to see you Regina. I've missed you."

She was about to respond when Henry rushed down the stairs.

"Happy Birthday, Emma!" He threw his arms around her abdomen.

"Thanks kid." She ruffled his hair.

He motioned for her to come down to his level and she crouched down. He placed a homemade tiara on her head, Princess Emma done crudely across the front in glimmering white glitter.

Regina smiled, suddenly comfortable now that she realized Emma was. "I hope you're hungry. We made a feast."

Emma smiled at her. "Starving." She got back up, taking Henry's hand in one of hers and slipping her other hand into Regina's, much to the brunette's delight.

Regina couldn't believe how much she'd missed the blonde. Her smile, her laugh. She found herself studying her all through dinner… the way she interacted with their son, the way she would catch Regina's eyes from time to time and her grin in response. They were a family.

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"The prince is officially down for the night." Emma came down the stairs.

"I hope that doesn't mean you're leaving."

Emma studied Regina, her eyes traveling over her. "I've always loved that dress on you."

_Thank you, Henry._

Emma motioned towards the parlor. "I was actually hoping for a cup of your infamous apple cider."

Regina smiled. "Coming right up."

"How have you been Regina?" Emma asked when Regina returned with two glasses filled with the fragrant cider.

"Honestly?"

Emma nodded, taking a seat.

Regina took a seat on the couch opposite hers, just as they had the first night. "I've missed you Emma."

Emma smiled. "I know. I've thought about coming back every single day."

"Why haven't you?"

Emma sighed. She had hoped they wouldn't have to talk about this. "You know why."

"What changed?"

Emma shrugged and smiled sadly. "Mary Margaret told me everyone deserves to be with the ones they love on their birthday."

_Thank you, Snow White. Finally you did something good for me._ "I'm glad she did."

"Me too. This was the best night of my life." She touched the tiara on her head fondly. She stood abruptly, set down her glass, and held out her hand.

Regina gave her a questioning look but took her hand.

Emma pulled her up and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Regina's neck. "Every princess deserves a dance on her birthday."

Regina smiled as Emma rested her head on Regina's shoulder and they danced to a song only they seemed to be able to hear.


	8. If It Kills Me

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: here's an update. i wasn't going to post until tomorrow afternoon, but i had a bad day and i'm sulking and reviews make me smile. this is not the final chapter, so don't worry. there will be more to come.

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She didn't sleep, it was too risky. The second she could hear the even breathing that indicated Regina was asleep, she opened her eyes and looked at the brunette. Her hair was slightly longer, but not by much. Emma had dreamed about this moment many a time. She was serious when she'd told Regina she had thought about coming back everyday. If only the older woman had known how many times she'd walked right to the front door and almost knocked. But she couldn't lose Regina like she lost Graham. She wouldn't. She saw what this curse did to people who broke free of it. She couldn't risk them… her family. She watched Regina sleep for hours, only stopping when the first rays of sunlight streaked in through the window. It was time to go. She kissed Regina's forehead softly. "I love you." She slid silently out of bed and pulled on her clothes. She grabbed her purse, she'd seen Regina look at it curiously all night but had refused to comment. From it, she pulled the baby blanket. She snuck out of the room quietly and snuck downstairs to the parlor. She set the blanket on the couch where Regina had been sitting and put the tiara on top. She scrawled a quick note to Regina and set it with the items on the cushion. A sound behind her sent her back rigid. She turned around to find Henry standing in the doorway in his Pjs.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I heard someone down here." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. In that moment he saw the items and note on the couch. "You're leaving?"

A telltale creak sounded from upstairs. Regina was awake.

Emma grabbed Henry's hand and led him with her to the front door. She opened it quietly and led him out, closing it softly behind them. "I'm leaving Storybrooke. It's best for everyone."

Henry shook his head and pulled his hand away. "No, you can't."

"Kid, I'm never going to be the PB&J in the lunchbox, help you with your homework, read you a bedtime story mom. I knew I was never going to be that person for you. That's why I put you up for adoption. I wanted to give you the best chance to have what I never did. And that's what you got. She's… she's a great mother and she loves you very much. Forget her past, forget all their pasts and just be grateful you have that. Be grateful that you were a lucky one, that you never had to be alone."

He was crying, but she steeled herself against it, kissed the top of his head and then gave him a gentle shove towards the door. "Take care of her. Keep her honest."

She waited until he was inside before heading for her car. It had begun to snow.

Henry went straight to the stairs, tears streaming down his cheeks. The second Regina caught sight of him from the second floor landing, she went to his side. "Henry? What happened?"

"Was this you? Are you the reason she's leaving?"

There was no need to ask who, she knew without having to ask. Emma Swan.

"Stay here." She went to the door and opened it. Emma was looking longingly at the door from her place behind the steering wheel. The second her eyes caught Regina's, unspoken words flew between them. Take care of Henry for me is what Emma's eyes said.

Regina started down the walkway towards the street, but Emma pulled away from the curb.

"Shit!" Regina turned around to go back to the house only to find Henry behind her, holding out her keys.

She smiled. "I'll be back. Go inside and get warm okay?"

Henry looked at her with concern. "Make sure you catch her before the city limits."

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It took Emma until she was on main street before she realized she was being followed. The Mercedes had taken up pursuit, but she refused to stop. She had weighed all the options and the best way to halt the alleviation of the curse was to get rid of the key to break it, herself. She had to leave, because the thought of her mother and her father, of Regina and Henry, of any of the people she'd come to care about not existing anymore was more than she could bear. The second she hit the outskirts of town and the road stretched out, empty, with the woods crowding in on either side, she sped up. She just had to make it outside the city limits. She couldn't be followed then.

Regina flashed her lights and honked, but Emma ignored her and pushed her Volkswagen to its limit. She could see that stupid sign just a mile ahead. Looking back, she knew she'd seen the patch of ice before she hit it, but she had been too afraid to slow down. If Regina caught her and she had to look into the older woman's eyes, her resolve would surely crumble.

The car flipped three times, finally coming to a rest deep in the embankment of snow on the side of the road, laying on the driver's side. Her window had shattered somewhere between rolls two and three and she was laying on the remains of broken glass shards and the large amount of snow that had fallen in. She was vaguely aware of someone screaming out her name, but she couldn't answer, no matter how many countless times she attempted to.

The sound of sirens created a hazy, barely audible theme song to her pain and discomfort. She tried to move and pain shot up her leg to oppose her. She looked down slowly. Along with several shards of glass embedded all along her left side, a jagged piece of metal greeted her from its residence in the flesh of her thigh.

She heard a sound to her right and looked over and up to a silhouette of a man's face framed by the passenger window, which had also shattered during the car's tumble. For a moment her thoughts went to Graham, but that was impossible.

"She's alive. But we need to get her out now! She's losing blood!"

It was only then that she realized the snow underneath her left side was varying rosy shades, spanning from blush pink to deep crimson.

Even then, she didn't panic. This was better. She didn't want to die by any stretch of the imagination. But if it was her or any of the residents of Storybrooke… better that it be her. Regina and Henry would be okay.

She heard the sound of someone calling her name but she closed her eyes to the call. She was too tired to answer. Why wouldn't they just leave her be? She needed to sleep. She vaguely heard someone say they were cutting off her seatbelt, but she didn't acknowledge the voice either way. She felt the seatbelt give way and she fell into someone's arms. She felt movement and knew she was being lifted out of the car, but still she didn't dignify any comment from her rescuers with a response or even an opening of her eyes. The gurney they set her on seemed hard as a rock compared to the cushy worn leather of the seats in the Volkswagen and she almost asked them to put her back.

And then she was there. "Emma, darling, open your eyes. Oh God, please, be okay."

Emma wasted precious energy to crack open her eyes, but it was worth it to see the tear streaked face hovering above her light up. "Regina…"

"Hey. Shhh. Don't talk."

"No, I need to tell you…"

"What?" Regina was walking beside the gurney as it headed for the ambulance, waiting down the road from the crash site. Emma was running out of time.

She coughed and she could taste blood in her mouth. She coughed again. "I love you. You're not alone anymore."


	9. Love Me To Life

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so, i wasn't going to post for a few days because my schedule was packed, but i got a call from the doctor today and i go back into the hospital tomorrow morning. so, i'm giving you two chapters tonight, because who knows when i'll be able to post again? i'm hoping it's nothing, but he cancelled his appointments tomorrow so he could fit me in, which is kinda scary. anyways, not your problem and not the point. the point is, two updates, so yay for that. more when i can.

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"I came as soon as I heard." Mary Margaret rushed over to where Henry and Regina were waiting. "How is she?"

Regina shook her head, more tears escaping her eyes. She fell into a chair. Henry went to her and hugged her hard. His adoptive mother wrapped her arms around him and cried against his shoulder, a raw and unnaturally deep connection between them in their grief.

Mary Margaret watched the exchange, her heart breaking. Emma Swan had changed them all; she'd brought a little boy and his mother together, she'd melted the heart of the Evil Queen. Where had she even come from? The teacher had known Regina for as long as she could recall and she had never seen anyone have such a profound effect on the normally cold-hearted mayor. Emma Swan had come out of nowhere and blindsided them all. It was as if she were always a part of their little town, but somehow she'd wandered away for a while and got lost.

Hours passed like years, dragging on with an amazing slowness. Sometimes they spoke to one another but mostly they were silent, preferring to be alone with their thoughts, though they were together in their grief. Mary Margaret read to Henry to get his mind off the fact that one of his mothers may very well not survive to see tomorrow. David, Ruby and Granny, Marco, Archie… slowly, one by one, they drifted in to pay their respects to the three people who'd been closest to Emma. Regina saw to them with her usual dignified grace, thanking them but mentally urging them away. Henry tried to console Regina by telling her Emma couldn't die; she was destined to save them all. Regina would smile and nod, entertaining the hopes of her eleven year old, but once Henry had fallen asleep, snuggled against her, she let her true sorrow show.

"Emma's strong, Regina, she'll pull through."

Regina glanced at the teacher, her worst enemy, and yet the person who was responsible for the two most precious things in her life. Hate seemed so strong a term for what she felt towards the woman who had once been her step-daughter. "I should have let her go. I should have given her freedom. If she hadn't been running from me maybe she wouldn't have hit that ice so fast."

Mary Margaret frowned. "You can't blame yourself. Life is like dominos, that first one we knock over, that first choice we make, it effects all other decisions from then on. I don't know what caused her to show up back at my apartment those three months ago, but whatever caused that terror in her eyes that night… that's what caused this, not you."

Regina was about to respond until she saw the teacher look to the doors that led to the bowels of the hospital.

Dr. Whale came out. His face looked grim and somber.

Regina stood, wiping her eyes with the back of a hand. She exited the waiting room and went to him. "How is she?"

"It's not good Mayor Mills. Most of the damage caused by the glass is superficial. The ones that did go deep, and there were a few, will heal but she may scar. She received a nasty wound to her leg when what looks to be a piece of the door broke off into her thigh, but it missed the femoral artery and she'll have full use of the leg in a couple weeks. However…"

Regina felt her stomach drop. No, she was fine. She had to be fine. "What is it?"

"She got thrown around a lot as the car was flipping. She suffered a nasty blow to the side of her head. It caused a swelling of her brain and we had to alleviate the pressure. We don't know yet if she'll have any mental repercussions. And there was massive amounts of internal bleeding. We were able to get it under control, but not before it started doing damage." He shifted uncomfortably.

"What are you saying?" Regina glanced over her shoulder at Henry, waking up, just out of earshot.

Dr. Whale took a deep breath. "I'm saying that the likelihood that Miss Swan survives the night is slim to none. You need to prepare yourself Madame Mayor. Emma Swan almost certainly will die."

Regina felt anger infect her, surging through every inch of skin, seeping out her pores. "Not if I have anything to do with it." The anger made her feel a glimpse of that old power. She turned, signaling to Mary Margaret.

The teacher muttered something to Henry and came over to Regina. "Is Emma going to be okay?"

"It's very bad Ms. Blanchard, but I think I may be able to help her. Can you watch Henry for a bit while I go somewhere? And call me if there is any update on Emma."

Ms. Blanchard nodded. "Of course. But where are you going?"

Regina frowned. "I'm going to talk to Mr. Gold."

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The pawn shop was open. She stepped inside and turned the sign to closed.

The proprietor stepped out from the back room. When he caught sight of the mayor the corner of his mouth turned up. "Madame Mayor, what brings you here to my shop?"

"I need to make a deal."

Mr. Gold smirked at her. "Always to the point, that's what I like about you Madame Mayor."

"Are you willing to make a deal with me or not?"

"Well, you are an upstanding customer, what is it you'd have of me?"

Regina took a deep breath. "Emma Swan's life. She will survive this. Name your price; I'll give you anything except Henry."

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow. "Even your _happy ending_?"

Regina paled. "If that's what it takes. I have no choice; she's too important."

Mr. Gold nodded. "I agree. Miss Swan is crucial to our continued existence. Very well, Miss Swan will live."

"And your fee?"

He smirked. "My fee is a simple one, for the good of all fairytale kind. I will take Miss Swan's love for you. When she wakes up, she will only remember her hatred for you. I will undo all the progress she's made towards breaking your curse. Even if she remembers the time you have shared, she won't remember how she feels about you."

Regina wouldn't let herself cry in front of him but she could feel her heart hurting. "So be it. Save her."

Mr. Gold smiled. "It's done."

Regina turned and left the shop, not noticing the clock in the square had once again stopping ticking.

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Figures danced behind her eyes. A young woman with dark curly hair in a hooded cloak of green roughspun perched on a thick branch of a large sentinel tree. A man tricking a dragon into getting its neck caught and then delivering a swift death blow. A big white marble casket, and a vaguely familiar figure on a high balcony. Then Regina, but not really Regina, similar enough to be her identical twin in the tightest black pants she'd ever seen (somehow they worked on her though) threatening a room crowded with people. And then Graham was there, walking with Mary Margaret through the forest. She tried to call out a hello to them, but she couldn't find her voice. In fact she had no control over the movement of this little vision at all.

Finally things shifted once more and there was Mary Margaret, in white, covered in sweat and she was….

_Oh, ew, don't really want to see my own birth. Gross. Oh, that looks painful. Ow! That is painful! Ow! Ow! Ow!_

Reality came back to her all at once as her eyes slid open and she was aware of nothing but pain all over her… well, everywhere. She groaned audibly. Who kicked her ass? She tried to recall what had put her in this agony, but she was coming up blank.

And then Regina's face filled her world and she managed a smile at the familiar face, though the left side of her face hurt upon doing so. "Hey." Her voice was hoarse to her ears and it was only then that she realized how dry her throat was. She was parched. And what was Regina doing here? Was Henry okay? Had something happened to him. "Henry?"

"He's fine." Tears formed at the edges of Regina's eyes. "I'm more worried about you."

Her? Why? She noticed a bruise and a small gash above Regina's right eye. "What happened to you?" She tried to lift her left hand to the cut, but it wouldn't budge. For the first time, she looked at her own body to take stock of what was going on. Her left arm was wrapped up in gauze and a brace and there was a massive amount of dressings covering her thigh, as well as bruises on the exposed part of her left leg.

"It's nothing. I bumped my head on the steering wheel when I slammed on the breaks. I got lucky."

"You were in a car accident?"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Emma, don't you remember what happened?"

Why was the mayor calling her by her first name? She frowned. "Some guy got the advantage and kicked my ass? It happens." She tried to sit up.

Regina put a hand on her chest to restrain her. "Emma, you were in a car accident three days ago. You hit a patch of ice while trying to leave Storybrooke."

"Why would I leave Storybrooke?"

Regina frowned. "I never got the chance to ask you why."

Emma looked around the hospital room. She'd been here three days? "How bad was it?"

Regina bit her lip. Emma had never seen her look so vulnerable, granted she had only met the woman less than two months ago.

"It was bad Emma; you almost died. Your left forearm is broken, but they didn't want to put a full cast on it because you have some open cuts and they didn't want them to get infected. A piece of your car door broke off in your leg. They got it out but you'll have some difficulty walking for a few weeks. Your head…"

"Stop." Emma couldn't listen anymore, her stomach was already churning.

"What do you remember Emma?"

What was with Regina Mills, the mighty mayor, calling her by her name like they didn't despise each other? "About the accident? Nothing at all. Is my car totaled?"

Regina rolled her eyes. She would ask about that stupid piece of junk. "Yes, the car is a wreck. Though if you ask me, three flips through the snow improved its appearance."

Now it was Emma's turn to roll her eyes. This was more like it.

"Do you remember what happened before the accident? Or better yet, just tell me the last thing you remember."

Emma closed her eyes and thought hard. She saw him there, on the floor, clutching his chest in agony. His lips, his arms, they'd felt so inviting. She had almost not been lonely. She opened her eyes, tears marking their corners. "He died, didn't he?"

Regina frowned. "Who?"

Emma sighed. "The last thing I remember is Graham's heart attack. I don't remember making it to the hospital. Oh my God, he wasn't in my car when I flipped, was he?" She had known that Graham would never be more than a little fun, but he was still a friend if nothing else. She stared at Regina, silently begging her to say no, that it wasn't her fault.

Regina felt her heart sink. It was exactly what Mr. Gold had promised. Emma had survived, but her mind had gone back to the one moment in time where she'd hated Regina the most.

"He's dead, Emma. He died of a cardiac infarction almost a year ago."

Emma shook her head and the motion caused her eyesight to blur, briefly. "That's impossible." She put a hand to her head and it was then she felt the gauze. She forced her hands back down to her sides, unable to stomach what injuries she may have just yet.

Regina frowned. "You don't remember anything from the last year?"

Emma's eyes were wide and scared. "No."


	10. Coming Home

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: update two of two. i kinda love this chapter. hope everyone else does too.

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_"A freak snowstorm hit eastern Maine last week, nearly claiming the life of the town's Sheriff when her car hit a patch of ice just inside the city limits. The storm passed within a few hours of the accident causing no more…"_

Emma switched the news off.

"Good morning, Miss Swan." Regina entered her room as if she owned the place, which in a certain sense, she did.

Emma looked over at the mayor. "You're getting closer, but the tone's not quite right. You need a little more snap. It's an art, how you speak to me."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I told you already, if you don't want me to call you by your first name because it's 'creepy' I can respect that, but I will not fake hating you."

Emma frowned but let the matter rest. "You don't have to stop by every morning Madame Mayor. Not that I don't appreciate it, but don't you have a town to run? I mean, it's been over two weeks."

"Yes, Miss Swan, I do. However the town will not crumble if I spend an hour with you every morning."

"But…"

"Miss Swan." Dr. Whale strode in, ending their conversation. "I have some good news for you."

"I get to go home?" Emma looked hopeful.

Dr. Whale nodded. "You can go home."

"Yes!" Emma pumped her good arm.

"You'll need round the clock care until your leg heals completely and you'll need physical therapy twice a week. No lifting with your left arm and no pressure anywhere on your left side."

"Understood." Emma was practically bouncing.

"I'll make sure she's well taken care of." Regina tried to reassure Dr. Whale when he looked at Emma's celebrating as if he might have made a mistake.

Emma's celebration abruptly halted. "Wait. What?"

"I'll work from home until your leg is better."

"Well that's very nice of you, but we don't live together."

Regina frowned. "You can't really expect Ms. Blanchard to take that amount of time off work, Miss Swan. I already have a substitute Sheriff filling in until you're better. I can't worry about finding a substitute 5th grade teacher too. This is a small town, not everyone has Ms. Blanchard's skills." Her voice dripped with its old disdain, as if she were talking to someone insufferably stupid.

Emma beamed. "There it is! I told you… it's an art."

Regina sighed.

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"Hey, I heard you get to go home." Mary Margaret took Regina's usual seat.

"Yep, there's just all that discharge paperwork to file, but anytime now."

"Regina told me you're going home with her. Did you remember everything then?"

Emma frowned. "No. Nothing new. She's making me. Someone has to be at my disposal every second of the day."

"And she's going to do that for you? Talk about the princess treatment."

Emma smirked. "Do you think she feels bad about Graham? Wait no, that happened a long time ago." She was always forgetting that he'd been gone awhile. "Was I still living with you when this happened? I didn't have a new boyfriend or anything right?"

Mary Margaret shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, you still lived at my place. You were on a break from a relationship with someone."

"Really? With who?" Emma leaned towards the teacher with the giddiness of a schoolgirl listening to the latest gossip. Being confined to a bed for two weeks could do that to anyone's brain and hers was especially susceptible, considering.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret's eyes grew wide at the sight of the mayor in the doorway.

Emma looked over at Regina. Of course she'd interrupt right at the juicy part. She made a mental note to ask Mary Margaret more about this mysterious boyfriend later. Why hadn't he come to visit her while she'd been in the hospital?

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"Are you sure about this?" Emma looked up at the house, that rose up, intimidating in its grandeur. "I don't want to impose."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You're staying here whether you like it or not."

Now there was the Regina she knew and loathed.

"There is nothing wrong with my room at Mary Margaret's and she's perfectly capable of playing mom if I need her to."

Regina crossed her arms across her chest. "Don't argue with me. You're staying here. It's not up for discussion."

Emma shrugged and leaned on Regina's shoulder for support.

"I've set you up in the guest bedroom." Regina helped her upstairs and into the room in question. It was more elaborately furnished than any of Emma's apartments had ever been. "You have your own bathroom; I didn't want you to have to go far. If you need anything, just call for me."

Emma sat on the edge of the bed. "When does Henry get home?"

Regina glanced at her watch. "In about twenty minutes."

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She spent most of the afternoon and evening with Henry. He read to her and did his homework. She told him stories from her crazy life as a bailbondsperson. Finally Regina summoned him to bed. Regina. She had been acting so un-Regina-like but at the back of her mind Emma felt as if that should be familiar.

The brunette was in her doorway as if her thoughts had summoned her. "Are you comfortable?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah, thank you. This is really kind of you."

Regina just nodded and turned from the door.

"Madame Mayor?"

Regina turned back.

"Were we friends? Before the car accident? Before I decided to leave Storybrooke?"

Something close to sorrow flashed across Regina's expression then. "Yes, Miss Swan, we were."

Emma bit her bottom lip. She couldn't really imagine being friends with someone like Regina, but she had always had a knack for detecting lies and the past few days, Regina had proven to be more sincere than she'd been since Emma had first brought Henry home. The least Emma could do was try. "Madame Mayor?"

"Yes, Miss Swan?"

"Do you mind if I call you Regina and you can call me Emma?"

Regina's lips curved very subtly upward, the barest hint of a smile. "Goodnight Emma."

"Goodnight Regina."

She looked out the window as Regina closed the door. She noticed, much to her confusion, that the clock in town had once again stopped working. Odd, she wondered how long that had been going on.

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Her dreams that night were of Graham. She walked with him in the woods, him a few feet in front of her. If she walked faster to catch up, his pace would change too. Frustrated, she broke into a run, chasing him, but he was running too. She chased him for what seemed like hours, never gaining an inch on him. Finally she gave up, tired. She was standing in a clearing in the center of a ring of light. An apple tree, like the one in Regina's yard but several times larger, stood to the north of the clearing. It was then that Graham turned around and she realized it wasn't Graham at all, but Regina. The brunette smiled. "You're magic Emma. Can you feel it?" A warmth started to surge through Emma's body.

She shot up, sweating profusely, gasping for breath.

Regina was there, smoothing down her hair. "Hey, you're okay. It was just a dream. You're fine." She helped Emma lay back down on the pillow.

"I was looking for you." The words seemed foreign coming from her own mouth. She barely realized it was her saying them.

"Shhh, Emma. Go back to sleep." Regina soothed her until the room started to fade and her eyelids fell closed.


	11. Someone Wake Me Up

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so i'm having surgery on wednesday again. but i'm in high spirits because my hospital has the absolute best nurses in the world and they let me sneak my laptop in to my room as long as i hide it when my doctor does rounds. same with my phone and maura (my ipod touch). so i may have a post up once more before wednesday and probably another one on thursday or friday. yay.

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Emma woke early enough to help Henry get ready for school and to see him off. Then she went up stairs to take a shower. It was difficult. They'd taken the partial cast off her arm before she'd left the hospital, but her arm still hurt a tremendous amount and it had a removable brace. The second the spray from the showerhead hit her wounds, she had to bite back a scream. The last thing she needed was Regina Mills running into the bathroom when she was naked and crying in the shower. She made it go as quickly as possible, washing her hair and body in record time. As she wrapped the towel around herself she finally felt the energy drain. She used a towel to wrap her hair up and sat on the bed. She didn't even notice she fell asleep until she sat up and noticed how much the sun had traveled across the sky. It was after noon. She got the medical supplies and wrapped up her leg, putting on her jeans. She winced as she brushed out hair that had dried as she slept and tangled. Finally she bandaged up the twelve gashes on her side and the four smaller ones on her arm. Her back was presenting a problem though. No matter which way she turned, she wasn't able to reach any of the wounds. She sighed. Asking Regina was the last thing she wanted to do, but what choice did she have? She grabbed the towel, holding it over her chest with one hand, grabbing the gauze and medical tape with her other, and headed down the hallway to the mayor's in-home office.

"Regina?"

"Hmm?" The brunette didn't look up from the files she was mulling over.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

That made Regina's gaze shoot up.

Emma held up a roll of medical tape and a box of gauze with her good hand. "I can't reach my back." She had a towel wrapped around her torso to retain her modesty, though Regina was no stranger to the soft skin underneath. But Emma no longer remembered that and, remembering her deal with Mr. Gold, she tried to act as if she had no interest whatsoever in what lay under that terry cloth barrier.

Regina nodded and got up. She motioned for Emma to sit down.

Emma took a seat and turned so that her back was facing the mayor. She let the towel drop and Regina cringed as several swollen, nasty-looking gashes were laid bare to her. She'd seen worse… she'd done worse… when everyone had been residents of the Enchanted Forest still, but on Emma, these seemed outrageously cruel. "Let me get some hydrogen peroxide to clean them. We wouldn't want them to get infected."

"Thank you, Regina." She pulled up the towel to cover her chest as Regina opened the door and left to get the hydrogen peroxide.

Her first night here had been surprisingly wonderful. Despite her injuries and with the exception of a brief dream, she'd slept like a baby, as if this were home and she finally felt safe enough to truly rest. The only problem was, she didn't feel that way. She felt nothing towards this house. Except Henry of course. She remembered her dislike of the mayor, the fondness she'd developed for Henry despite his continued delusions, her anguish over Graham, her odd draw to Mary Margaret. But she didn't remember when the mayor changed her tune and became almost… protective of her. She found it hard to believe that this wasn't all a ruse, some secret ploy to get her out of town faster. I mean the woman had threatened to destroy her if it was the last thing she did. That's a pretty hardcore threat, not something easily forgotten or abandoned. And the mayor had socked her, really hard. That had hurt and it felt like it was just yesterday. Graham was just yesterday. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought about how happy he looked the moment before he'd died. It was as if he'd realized everything, put all the pieces of his life together. Now, he was gone and the loss tore at her as if it were fresh. A surge of anger at the woman who'd taken her in filled her. Just as quickly as it appeared, she suppressed it. Regina wasn't her enemy anymore. Why couldn't she remember that?

"Here we are." Regina stepped back in with the telltale brown bottle, closing the door. When she noticed Emma's tears, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

Emma swiped at the tears with the backs of her hands, letting the towel fall without even realizing it. She shook her head. "It's nothing. The wounds just burn a little is all."

Her left side exposed to the mayor, Regina had to hold her breath to keep from gasping aloud. At least twelve gauze pads blocked the bigger gashes from her eyes, but the smaller ones were all visible, angry red tears ripped through her skin where the glass had exacted its revenge for being shattered.

Emma followed her eyes and glanced at her left side, covering it back up. "Sorry."

Regina shook her head. "It's fine." She sat behind Emma on the small couch. She poured some hydrogen peroxide into a square of clean gauze. "This might sting a little." She touched the soaked gauze to the first of the gashes on Emma's back, one up by her shoulder. Reflexively, Emma flinched away from the sting, wincing. "Sorry." Regina leaned forward and blew softly. The sting ebbed away.

It took nearly half an hour to do all eight of the wounds on her back. Over the course of that time, Emma's anger deflated again. But finally Regina stood up. "You're all set."

"Regina?"

"Hmm?" She tossed away the dirty gauze in the trash by her desk and pulled some hand sanitizer out of the top drawer.

"Do you ever think about the night Graham died?"

Regina froze, her heart speeding up. "All the time. Why?"

"Because I'm sorry about what I said that night. To you. I made it sound like you were the problem. I shouldn't have said those things."

Regina nodded. "It's okay. It was the truth. I was acting the way I always had and was wondering why I wasn't getting different reactions from people."

Emma nodded and stood, barely able to believe her ears. Was Regina actually taking responsibility for the way she treated people? What in the fuck had happened this past year? She walked to the door. "Regina?" She turned back. The older woman was giving Emma her full attention. "I'm really sorry that I don't remember our friendship, that all I remember is the bad. I want you to know that I really wish I could remember."

"I wish there hadn't been any bad to remember."

Emma gave one last small smile before departing. Maybe Regina wasn't as bad as she'd originally thought. She went back to her room to rest until Henry got home.

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After dinner, she sought out Regina. She was once again in her office.

"Regina?"

"Emma."

Emma sat down in one of the chairs across from her. "I was wondering if you'd tell me stories, memories, about when we became friends. Maybe they'll help me remember."

Regina eyed her warily. "Are you sure?"

Emma nodded. "A memory a night, like a bedtime story."

Regina smiled, giving a small nod. "Okay."

"Can we start right now?"

Regina nodded. "Why don't you go get settled down in bed? I'll be there in a second?"

Emma nodded, turning from the room and going to her bedroom. She had just settled into bed when Regina entered, holding what looked to be a photo album. Emma scooted over to one side so Regina could relax comfortably next to her.

Regina leaned back against the pillows and ran a hand across the cover of the album. "It's all I have left of the last nine months." She flipped through it until she found the photograph she was looking for and slid it out, handing it to the blonde.

Emma stared at it, honestly not remembering anything. It depicted her and Regina walking along the beach that bordered one side of the town. Regina's arm was extended towards her and she was mid-fall, caught by the camera as she was hurtling towards the water. She narrowed her eyes. "You pushed me! That is so like you."

Regina chuckled, remembering their first outing as a couple with Henry, though he hadn't known they were one at that time. "You were so impatient that day…"

_"Come on Henry!" Emma called up the stairs._

_She was as giddy as Regina had seen her; the prospect of spending the day all together had thrilled her, despite Regina insisting that they still keep the secret of their true relationship from the boy._

_The boy rushed down the stairs. "I'm ready."_

_"It's about time." Emma led the way to the door._

_Henry just looked at Regina and they simultaneously rolled their eyes behind the blonde's back. He followed Emma and she took up the rear of the party, smiling to herself at how quickly they were becoming a little family._

_Henry ran along the water's edge with as much energy and enthusiasm as Regina had ever seen their little boy ever have._

_Emma walked beside her. By an unspoken agreement, they didn't hold hands, but Regina felt an emptiness for the first time in the small space between her fingers. She longed to reach out and touch the blonde, needing, again for the first time since _him_, to feel the reassurance of physical contact. So she did the only thing she could think of. She reached out sideways and gave the blonde a hard shove to her shoulder. A camera flash went off as Emma gave a cry of surprise and toppled with a splash into the ocean. Regina tried to stifle a laugh as Emma glared up at her from the shallow water._

_"I hope you realize the repercussions of your actions, Madame Mayor." Emma stood and wrung the excess water out of her hair._

_Regina rolled her eyes. "Ooh, I'm so scared." She scoffed. But her eyes grew wide as, in one swift motion, Emma scooped her up in a fireman's carry. "What are you doing? Put me down this instant!"_

_"Down?" Emma shrugged. "Okay." And with an amount of strength Regina hadn't known the blonde possessed, she launched Regina through the air and into the water._

_Regina stood and glared at the blonde with fire in her eyes. "How dare you!"_

_Emma grinned, her arms crossed across her chest. "Repercussions."_

_Regina stormed forward, grabbing Emma's arm and pulling her into the waves. They roughoused for quite some time, two women living out a life they were denied by their respective necessities to grow up quickly. All the while, Henry snapped photos._

_Finally, both spent, they collapsed on the sand, laughing._

Emma's finger traced Regina's smiling face in the photograph. Her own back was to the camera, so she couldn't see her own expression. "You look really happy."

"I was." Regina took the photograph back. "It was a great day."

"It seems like we spent a lot of time together."

Regina nodded. "Whenever we weren't working."

Emma sighed. "We were best friends and I can't remember any of it. Is that normal?"

Regina frowned, closing the photo album and setting it aside. She should tell Emma the truth, that she'd never remember because of Regina's deal, but she didn't have the heart to hurt the blonde after she'd already been through so much. "The doctor said memories will return in their own time."

Emma nodded. "I know. But..." She trailed off, unable to convey just how difficult the struggle to remember who you were was. It was a rather helpless feeling and Emma hated feeling helpless. She wanted to remember. She'd been in a relationship, Mary Margaret had said. She'd had someone who loved her. She'd had a best friend too. She'd had a life, a good one it seemed.

"We'll make new memories Emma."

The blonde's green eyes shifted to focus on the woman staring back at her... her best friend and yet all she could remember was what she didn't like about the time they'd known each other. Slowly, she nodded. She had to try to feel something besides hurt, for Regina, for what they'd been. She had to force herself to try and be that again.


	12. Show Me What I'm Looking For

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: less than 30 hours so i'm posting this now. thanks to everyone who takes time to review. i appreciate it tremendously. most of you have brought up some really good points or have given really good ideas in regards to the direction of this story. i promise that it is far from over. we aren't even to the halfway point yet. will emma get all her memories back? will she fall back in love with regina? and what consequences will that cause in regards to regina's deal with mr. gold? and what is his deal anyway? answer to these questions and many more are in store, so stay tuned! enjoy!

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"So you're enjoying it there, then?" Mary Margaret smiled at Ruby as she set down their lunch and then turned a questioning gaze on Emma.

Emma smiled. "Oddly enough, I am. It's funny, I remember my first couple months here. I remember how cold and heartless she was during that time as if it were yesterday, but now… it's almost as if she's… different somehow, like she got replaced by a doppelganger or something." She bit into a fry. "Maybe she's possessed." Regina's bedtime stories had quickly become her favorite thing to look forward to. She had no recollection of any of the events Regina mentioned and each seemed more ludicrous than the one before, but there were always pictures to accompany the stories and Emma found she enjoyed the time they spent together.

"Well if she is possessed, it looks like, in this case, it might be in your best interests not to exorcise the demon."

"Possession has given her better manners." Emma looked thoughtful for a moment. "I just wish I could remember. There are times when it seems as if some little thing tugs at me, as if I've done it or heard it before. But I can never form a solid memory. I get little flashes from time to time, but nothing concrete. And then there's the dreams."

Mary Margaret regarded her thoughtfully. "Dreams?"

Emma swirled a fry in her milkshake absentmindedly before popping it into her mouth. "They're the kind that feel so real that you don't even feel like you're dreaming. Somehow, I always find myself in the same place before I wake up. I'm in this beautiful clearing in a forest. I know I've never been there before, but it feels familiar to me."

"What do you think it means?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know." She sighed. "I think it's more important to work on my memory than waste time trying to interpret a recurring, but perfectly harmless dream."

"What's the last thing you solidly remember?"

"Graham's heart attack." Her last memory was something she often let occupy her mind.

Mary Margaret bowed her head in silent remembrance. "Go visit Graham. If that's the last thing you remember, maybe that's where you need to go to pick it all up again."

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She stared at the gravestone. There was something so comforting to her about cemeteries. To forever rest in a place with many others, where you're never truly alone.

"Hey, Graham." She dusted the snow off the top of the marble. "I miss you. You, Henry, and Mary Margaret were my friends right away. Regina's boyfriend, her son, and her two worst enemies, what a group we made. I know she misses you too. She never says so, but there's these times where she gets this far off look in her eyes, like she's thinking of someone. I know it's you. I got into a car accident a while ago and she's been taking care of me. Shocking, I know. She's…"

A low growl behind made her stop mid-sentence. Slowly, she turned around. A wolf stood behind her, his one red eye intensely staring at her. She instinctively reached for her gun, but came up empty. She hadn't been part of the Sheriff's Department for quite some time now.

"Nice, wolf. Nice, wolf."

The wolf took a step forward and she took one back. Then another and another. They danced like that for several minutes. He'd advance, she'd retreat. Finally, her foot caught on something and she felt herself falling backward. She landed hard on her ass on stone. When she looked up, the wolf was gone. She looked to see what she had tripped over. It was the bottom step of the mausoleum. Regina's father was entombed here.

The memory hit her so suddenly she would have fallen over were she not still on the ground.

_"Here lies Henry Mills, Beloved Father." Emma ran her fingers across the words etched into the stone. "I never knew you named Henry after your father." She smiled at Regina. Her hand found the woman's arm. "It was the prefect name." She let her hand linger several moments too long. Finally she withdrew it. She slowly walked from one end to the other. "If anything happens to me… I'd like to be put here. If that's okay with you of course."_

_Emma's back was to her, so Regina couldn't see her expression, but her own was one of utter shock. All she could manage to stagger out was, "Why?"_

_Emma looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Because this is where you'll go." She glanced around the small stone chamber. "Henry too. I don't want to be out there," she gestured with her head out the mausoleum doors, "alone."_

The memory faded just as suddenly as it had come. It hadn't been how she had expected it. It wasn't like David, recalling his past. He had remembered the feelings and emotions, he remembered living the moments. She felt as if she were watching a movie, detached. She couldn't recall how she had felt, but one thing was clearly obvious. Before the accident, she had loved Regina Mills, enough to pick her eternal resting place as the Mills family mausoleum. For her to commit to a dinner date was a big deal, so to commit to something of that magnitude…

She got up. The snow was starting to melt into her jeans and the cold was making her leg ache. She'd gotten what she came for, now it was time to return to Regina's house.

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"Where have you been? I was worried sick." Regina was standing in the doorway as she had so many times when Emma had returned Henry. "Miss Blanchard called to check up on you. I thought you were supposed to be having lunch with her."

Emma ignored her chastising and walked straight up and threw her good arm around her, pulling her into a huge hug.

"Oh." Regina was tense with surprise at first but finally enfolded Emma in her arms and hugged her back.

Emma pulled back and walked inside, heading straight for the parlor.

"What was that for?" Regina closed the front door and followed her.

Emma was quiet. She hadn't really decided yet whether she wanted to tell Regina about her memory. She knew Regina would be happy about it, but it was just one small memory.

"Emma?" Regina closed the door to the parlor, sealing them together in the small room, just as in the mausoleum.

"I remembered something. It was small but it was something."

Regina sat down in a chair. "What did you remember?"

Emma smiled to herself. "I want to be buried with you. And your family." Her smile widened. "You named Henry after your father."

"It's coming back to you." Regina smiled softly. "I'm going to get us some wine to celebrate." Regina disappeared for a few minutes and returned with two glasses of a rich looking red. She handed one to Emma, who thanked her.

"Regina, were we… I mean… did we…. We were, weren't we?"

"We were lovers, if that is what you're asking." Regina kept an adequate amount of space between them, not quite sure how Emma would take the confirmation.

"Did Henry know?"

Regina chuckled. "You were practically living here; yes, he knew."

"Did you love me?"

Regina swirled her wine, her lips pursed. Finally, she sidestepped the question, choosing not to answer. "You speak of all this as if you're a ghost."

"I feel like I am." Emma downed her wine in a few short gulps. "Maybe I died in that accident. Maybe the only reason I remember what I said in the mausoleum that day is because I'm actually there now."

Regina looked slightly shaken but finally she retained her cold demeanor. "Come now, Emma, really. Ghosts don't feel pain and you felt plenty of that in the beginning."

"I was happy. I was _in love_ with you Regina."

Regina nodded, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. "I know." She took a long gulp of her wine. "You never would have tried to leave Storybrooke unless you were."

Emma frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

Regina sighed. "One day, when you remember everything, it will."


	13. I Put A Spell On You

DISCLAIMER:: would like to own, but sadly do not

A/N:: last post before i go under the knife. less than four hours now. yikes. i should be back home by friday, but i may not post until saturday, possibly as late as next week, depending on if everything goes fine. knowing my luck though... i leave you with this update. enjoy! and be dolls and leave me some reviews to come home to...

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"I'm not going to clear you for work. End of discussion."

Emma knew she shouldn't push Regina. She'd felt the mayor's fury many a time and it was never a pleasant experience, but she was getting cabin fever. It had been two months since her accident. She had regained full use of her leg, the fracture in her arm was almost healed, her wounds had healed down to some pretty wicked scars, but Regina was still babying her. She had been getting her memories back for almost a month now, but it was always the same. It was like watching a movie and not realizing it was supposed to be your life. Maybe she had Alzheimer's. "You can't trap me here."

Regina looked up from her work. "Is that so?"

Emma sighed. "You should go back to work. I need this. It'll be good for everyone."

Regina studied her for a long moment. "Fine. I'll let you take back over the department and go back to work, but you must continue to live here so I can monitor you during the evenings. The first sign of… _anything_ and I'm pulling you out of there. Understood?"

Emma nodded eagerly. It seemed like a reasonable trade-off. "Understood."

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She traced the edge of the desk fondly. Hers. She looked around the office and could tell it was no longer Graham's but hers, though she didn't remember the transition. She looked over to the coat rack and saw his coat perched there. She walked over and grabbed it, holding it to her nose. It had been a year, the week before, since he'd passed. The coat held no trace that it was his anymore except her memory. She slipped it on. It was too big but it felt comfortable. She snuggled into it, enveloping herself in the memory of the love that almost was. Her mind drifted to Regina and the love that had apparently happened. She sighed and grabbed her badge, heading for the door. It was time to prove all this fairytale business false once and for all.

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She heard the Mercedes as it approached but she didn't look over her shoulder. She didn't need to see the disapproval on Regina's face. The mayor would probably revoke her work privileges for this but she didn't really care. Well, she did, but it wasn't going to change anything.

"What are you doing out here?"

Emma looked over her shoulder at her worst enemy, who, according to everyone, had become her best friend, her lover. "What are you doing here Regina?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what I just asked you?"

"I'm facing my fears and proving once and for all that this really is some kid's delusion."

"That's not some kid, that's our kid, so I'll ask you to guard your tongue Miss Swan." Regina's old bite was back and Emma almost smiled. It wasn't that she liked the cold-hearted bitch mayor version of Regina better; it just felt good to have something familiar around, something she could feel.

"I care about Henry, but I can't let his imagination get the better of me." She took another step towards the sign that marked the city limits of Storybrooke.

Regina stared up at the nasty looking storm brewing overhead. "It looks like rain. Come home with me. This is crazy."

"One second. It's just a few more steps." She took a small step forward, willing her fear away.

The lightening hit the sign in a bright glimmer of electric power. Emma fell backwards, unharmed.

Regina raced forward and grabbed the younger woman's arm, hauling her to her feet. "Are you insane? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Emma followed Regina to her car and let the older woman force her into the passenger seat.

When they were almost back in town, Emma burst out laughing.

Regina glanced at her with wide, disbelieving eyes as if she'd officially lost her marbles. "What's so funny?"

Emma smiled. "Good for tourism, bad for signage." She chuckled again. "That's what Graham said to me when he found out I was staying that first week. I guess he was right."

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"How was your first day back at work?" Henry asked Emma as she and Regina entered the house.

Regina answered before Emma had the chance to open her mouth. "Your mother has a death wish. Her day was spent trying to get us both killed."

Henry looked from one mom to the other, one was angry, the other shrugging sheepishly.

He sat down at the kitchen table. "Did you remember anything new?"

Emma shook her head. "Not really."

Henry looked disappointed, but unfortunately, Emma had become used to the expression from the little boy. He always looked so down that she couldn't remember the way things were. They all did.

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"Hey, can I come in?" Emma knocked on the bedroom door as she opened it.

Regina was sitting up in bed, reading a book. She stared at Emma for a second, then nodded.

Emma closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed, getting up on the other side. She leaned back against the pillows and sighed. "I'm sorry about today. I don't have a death wish, I swear. I'm just… trying to feel something real."

Regina leaned over and poked her ribs, hard.

"Ow!"

"Happy to oblige."

Emma frowned. "Point taken."

They sat in silence for several moments. "I remembered the accident yesterday." Emma picked at an invisible speck of lint on the duvet, anything to avoid meeting Regina's eyes.

Regina dropped the book on her lap and turned her full attention to Emma. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emma shrugged. "It's like all the other memories. I remember it, but I don't remember living it. Why bother?"

"It's okay Emma." Regina made to grab her hand, but thought better of it.

"No, it's not! I should remember this." She gestured between them. "I love you." Even to Regina, who had been longing to hear that from the blonde for weeks, Emma's words sounded empty and hollow.

"Please Emma, don't say it if you don't mean it." Regina sighed, placing the book on her bedside table and rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes.

"The Emma I was loved you. I can see it in my memories. It's not a lie. She loved you dearly."

Regina shook her head. She couldn't hear this. "You're not her."

"I want to feel the way she did about you. I want to love you." Emma put her hand on Regina's arm. "You've been so great to me Regina. What if I never remember everything? I want to. I want to remember what we had."

Regina pulled away. "But you won't."

"What do you mean?"

Regina sighed. Maybe it was about time the truth came out. "After the accident, when you were in the hospital, Dr. Whale… he told me you weren't going to make it, there was just too much damage. So I went to see Mr. Gold."

"You made a deal?" A sense of dread flooded Emma. Deals with Mr. Gold always had consequences.

Regina nodded.

"What did you do Regina?" Emma slid up next to brunette to keep Regina from avoiding her gaze.

Regina flinched at the accusation in the blonde's tone. "I had no other choice. I couldn't lose you too. I needed you to survive."

"At what _cost_?"

"That you would never remember how you felt about me."

"So this detachment… it's not a coincidence?"

Regina shook her head. "No, it's some kind of spell." She stared at Emma, guilt evident on her face.

Emma smiled.

Regina frowned, confused. "You're happy about this?"

Emma nodded and hugged Regina tightly. She pulled away, her smile only getting wider. "Don't you get it? If it's a spell, that means it can be broken."


	14. The Remedy

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: as i am writing this, obviously i survived my surgery. i wasn't that worried. just sucks that i have four big incisions across my abdomen. but as a plus now i get to spend more time away from my overly demanding job to be with my overly demanding son. and also another plus is i get to spend a lot of time writing for this lovely story. just finished typing chapter 27 and still going strong. this is a short chapter, i know, but next chapter will be the longest by far.

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The only difference between the months three and four post-accident and the first two were that Emma Swan had hope. She found comfort in the library, where she checked out books about fantasies (the non-sexual kind) and spells, pouring over them at the station when she wasn't out on patrol. She researched possible ways to break spells that affected one's mind. Her memories continued to come back to her and by the fourth month she remembered everything, as an observer. She could play her time in Storybrooke like her favorite movie. She could pause, rewind, fast forward, but no matter how much she wanted to, just like any other observer, she couldn't put herself into the movie. She tried spells of her own, charms, chants, incantations, anything the books suggested, she tried. She tried teas and other less-satisfactory brews. She tried hypnosis. She put flowers that were supposed to open your mind underneath her pillow as she slept. She spent an hour every morning meditating. But as month four turned into month five and that turned into six, seven, eight, nine, she began to once again lose her hope. In three months she would be thirty. It had been nine months since she'd almost perished trying to leave Storybrooke. She now lived in Regina's guest bedroom without complaint. She spent all the time she could want with Henry, all with Regina's permission. She had lunch with Mary Margaret most days. She ate dinner around a kitchen table with the two people who were supposed to be her family, she supposed, but the spell prevented her from warming up to Regina. If she tried, her mind would go straight to the agony on Graham's face as he died. It was unfair for Regina. She saw the pain behind her eyes before they steeled over, every time Emma would flinch away from her touch, no matter how innocent the contact or with every exasperated sigh or roll of her eyes. Her distance and indifference hurt Regina. If Emma's hope was dashed by her failed attempts, Regina's was obliterated. It had gotten to the point where Emma no longer told her if she had a new idea; she didn't want to get Regina's hopes up.

"So the purity potion didn't work, obviously." She sighed and fell back against Henry's headboard, looking at Henry guiltily. She was losing hope, but his faith never seemed to waver. For every attempt that failed, he had ten other options for her to consider. "Maybe I was wrong and this spell just can't be broken. I've tried everything possible, but it just..." She shrugged and sighed. She'd given it her best shot, maybe it was about time she threw in the towel.

Henry stared out the window to where his adoptive mother was standing in the shade of her Honeycrisp tree, picking apples. He'd never seen Regina look so openly defeated as she had the past few months. All the progress Emma had made towards pulling her away from the evil side of herself was slowly being reversed. "There is one more thing you haven't tried."

"And what's that?" Emma stared at him skeptically.

"True love's kiss."

"Regina is _so_ not my true love kid." Emma chuckled at the hilarious notion.

"Of course you don't think so because you're cursed! All you can see is what you don't like about her. But the old Emma was so in love with her that she risked her own life to save hers." Henry sighed and came over to sit beside her on the bed. "It's worth a try. If I'm wrong, then it just means you had to kiss someone you're not that fond of. Don't tell me you've never done _that_ before."

Emma frowned at him and then got up to take his position by the window. It stung a little that her son, who she hadn't even known for two years could pin her that easily. She couldn't really argue with him. She had kissed some pretty unsavory candidates in the past three decades. She stared down at the woman who'd been trying so hard for her ever since the accident. She still saw the anger and the vindictiveness and the cruelty. Was she really cursed? Or was that the real Regina? Everything in her screamed yes, that she was the Evil Queen after all, but could she really trust her opinions right now? "You really think it'll work?" She glanced uncertainly back at Henry.

He nodded and she sighed. "Fine, I'll do it." She turned away from the window and went to the bedroom door. "But I don't have to like it." She opened the door and slowly descended the stairs to confront her fate.

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"Regina!"

Regina turned from the apple tree to see Emma storming across the yard. "Emma? Where's the fire?"

Emma ignored her comment and stopped in front of the older woman, taking a deep breath to stabilize herself and then pulling her close until their lips collided.

At first, Emma felt nothing, but slowly, she felt a warmth sink into her limbs, tingling through her skin, though she hadn't realized she'd been cold. _"You're magic Emma. Can you feel it?"_ The voice from the dream receded and her eyes fell closed and she felt the life seep back into her, memories flying past her consciousness like her movie on fast forward. But this time, she remembered, _everything_. She remembered the emotions, the love, the feeling of family, of home. This was her family; Regina was her family, Storybrooke her home. How could she ever have believed Regina was evil still, that this was just some ploy to take down her and her parents? She'd almost died to save this woman and their son. She'd loved them that much. She still did. She loved them more than anything in this world, or theirs. Finally she pulled away.

Regina's eyes were closed and she held onto the trunk of the apple tree for support. She breathed deep and opened her eyes, staring at Emma with a fierce intensity. She was shaking, slightly light-headed and unsure on her feet. That kiss had been… mind blowing.

"I love you." Emma smiled, tears at the corners of her eyes, looking as if she'd just found her true purpose in life. Maybe she had. Maybe loving Regina was what she existed for.

Regina narrowed her eyes. "What just happened?"

Emma smiled. Leaning in, she kissed Regina again, her hand coming up and stroking the other woman's cheek. "Haven't you read the fairytales? The best way to break a spell is by true love's kiss."

Regina didn't know whether to cry or laugh. But she didn't get the chance to do either. Emma's smile had turned into a puzzled frown.

"I feel…" And Emma hand slipped from her cheek as she collapsed into her arms, dragging them both to the ground.

"Emma? Emma? Emma, wake up!" Regina stared at her with a cutting fear she hadn't felt for nine months.

On the clock face in the square, the minute hand advanced.


	15. When We Die

DISCLAIMER:: i do not own unfortunately. wouldn't it be awesome if i did?

A/N:: another update. longest chapter yet. i appreciate all the reviews and the positive feedback. i love this story and i'm glad everyone else is enjoying it too. and thank you to everyone who has wished me well in regards to my health, my gratitude is infinite. love all you guys.

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"What happened?" She slammed her hand down on the ledger Mr. Gold was flipping through when he seemed to be ignoring her presence in the shop.

"Mayor Mills." He finally looked up at her with a slightly bored expression.

She looked back at him with poison in her eyes. "Emma's back in the hospital. What _happened_?"

Mr. Gold closed the ledger. "Miss Swan's recovery was based upon reversing the progress made towards breaking the curse. My spell put her internal injuries on hold, preventing them from doing their damage; it didn't heal them. When Miss Swan broke her spell, her injuries resumed as they were."

Regina continued to give him her best death glare. "So Emma will die?"

Mr. Gold looked thoughtful. "Miss Swan will recover as she would have had you never interfered. Whether she lives or dies is for her to decide."

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The sky was above her, a crystal clear sky, so perfectly blue that it almost seemed painted there. She watched the clouds slowly migrate across the sky, deciphering their shapes as they passed through her field of vision. "Why can't everyday be like this?"

"It is beautiful, isn't it?"

Emma let one eye roll away from the sky to glance at the woman lying in the grass beside her. Regina stared back at her with an easy smile, natural, completely unforced. Her hair was as long as Emma's and she was younger by a decade or so. She was in a beautiful but simple dress, lavender, looking as if it had been pulled straight out of some medieval picture book. Emma glanced down at herself and saw that she was in leather trousers and a long roughspun tunic, tied around the waist with a leather belt.

"Are we in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma sat up and looked down at the woman beside her, the perfect sky all but forgotten.

Regina chuckled. "The very edge of it, yes."

Emma looked around. They were in a meadow. About a quarter mile away in every direction there were trees. So this was her homeland. She could see mountains in the distance, over the tops of the trees. "It's beautiful here."

Regina sat up beside her, still smiling. "You say that as if you haven't lived your whole life here."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Have I?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Did you hit your head swinging down from the trees this morning? Of course you have. Where else is there?"

The pure sincerity in Regina's eyes and voice made Emma believe her. "I had the oddest dream."

Regina's eyes lit up. "Tell me."

Emma folded her hands behind her head and laid back down. "You and I lived in this town, in this other world, called…" What had it been called? She realized she couldn't remember. "It was something pretty. And we had a child."

"A child?" Regina laid back down, her head resting on Emma's shoulder. "You and I? How is that even possible?"

Emma frowned. "I don't know."

"Boy or girl?"

"Boy, I think." The dream seemed vague the more Emma tried to think about it.

"What was his name?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember much about this dream, do you?" Regina lifted her head a little so she could regard Emma.

Emma shrugged sheepishly. "I guess not. Oh well. It was just a dream, right?"

Regina nodded and got up, holding down her hand to help Emma up. Emma took it. They set out for the trees to the west. "One thing I remember clearly from the dream though."

Regina smiled. "Oh, and what's that?"

Emma grinned. "That I love you." She leaned in and captured Regina's lips in a kiss.

Regina pulled away, though she continued to hold Emma's hand. "I told you Emma. I love you both, but I must marry him."

Emma felt her heart sink. Marry who?

"I can't come see you tomorrow." Regina frowned. "Father is taking me to dine with the King."

Emma's eyebrow raised. "Your father?"

Regina looked at her as if she'd sprouted a second head. "Yes. My father, Lord Henry."

"Henry…." Where had she heard that name before? It sounded important. She squeezed her eyes shut and wracked her brain until… a very brief flash of a boy's face appeared behind her eyes. Henry. Her Henry. _Their_ Henry. This was all wrong. She wasn't supposed to be here. Henry wasn't part of some dream. She pulled her hand from Regina's.

"Emma?" Regina looked at her with concern.

Emma shook her head. "This isn't my home."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is."

Emma just shook her head and bolted, plunging into the nearest line of trees. She ran for what seemed like forever, the pain in her left side increasing with every step she took further into the woods. Finally it became too much and she collapsed, breathing heavily and clutching her side. She looked up to find herself on her knees before a great apple tree and there, sitting on the grass at its base was the reddest apple she'd ever seen. Something told her to reach for it and she did, plucking it from its place on the grass. She turned it over in her hands. She was famished. Slowly, she brought the fruit to her lips and she took a bite.

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Emma awoke to darkness. Her entire left side felt sore and on fire. She shifted a little on the unforgiving mattress of the hospital bed. She felt as if the injuries from the accident were once again fresh. But as she looked down at her left side, nothing was bandaged. Her arm and her leg were whole and functioning properly. Only the scars of the old wounds still remained, along with remnants of a fading dream, one in which Regina was younger, and she had no walls around herself.

"_What's going on_?" She could hear Regina's furious whisper right outside her hospital room. She smiled. Regina was worried, for her.

"I don't know." It was Dr. Whale. "It almost seems as if all the internal injuries she sustained during the accident have unhealed themselves. I can't find an explanation for it; I've never seen anything like this before."

"You had better fix this!" The threat was the epitome of the old Regina, but now that Emma knew Regina, she recognized it as her armor. She was scared. Emma didn't blame her, so was she.

"Miss Swan has survived the night. That is a good sign that she'll pull through, Mayor Mills. I can make her comfortable, but…"

"There is no but… Emma _will_ live."

"I'll do everything I can."

"You better hope that's enough."

Emma heard retreating footsteps that signaled Dr. Whale was departing. She closed her eyes. Maybe she should have stayed with the other Regina. It wasn't painful to breathe there in that meadow with the perfect sky watching over them. The clothes weren't exactly her style, but she could work with them. If peculiar fashion had been her biggest complaint there than it was ten million times better than this world. And Regina was there too; she wouldn't have to miss out on love. But Henry… there was no Henry there… at least not the right Henry. No, she couldn't just cast her son aside without good reason and living in La-La Land with young Regina just to avoid the pain in her side was not a good enough reason. She let her eyes drift back open.

"Hey, you're awake." Emma hadn't noticed Regina enter the room.

"Hey." She held out her right hand, her good hand, to Regina.

The brunette sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the offered hand, squeezing it lightly. "Do you know why you're here?"

Emma bit her lip. "I collapsed under the apple tree." If only Regina knew the double meaning of that statement.

Relief washed over Regina's features. "You remember." She let a small smile grace her features.

"That I love you? Yes, I remember this time."

Regina's smile doubled in size. "Good. I didn't want to lose you again."

"I'm sorry I put you through this. I thought leaving Storybrooke was the only way to keep you safe, to keep everyone safe."

Regina nodded. She used her free hand to brush some loose strands of Emma's hair behind her ear. "I know. But I have a feeling that now that the curse has you back, it's trapped you here, just like us."

Emma chuckled dryly. "It does appear that way."

Regina frowned. "I suppose this means you'll want to go back to your mother's."

Emma knew it was the responsible thing to do. It had slowed down the breaking of the curse before. But the thought of all the time she'd missed with the people she cared about the most and of the agony of those three months before the accident that she had been without Regina, she knew it was no longer an option. "I'd like to stay, if it's alright with you."

Regina's frown faded and she nodded. "Of course."

Emma sat up, wincing. "I should never have left you. I'm sorry. I should have found someway around the curse. I was scared."

Regina smiled. "I know. So was I."

Emma kissed her softly. "We will find a way around this. I won't let it take you without a fight."

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"Are you slightly more amiable to letting me take care of you this time?" Regina opened the car door for Emma.

Emma got out of the car. "Much more agreeable this time. And once I'm all healed again, I'm going to take care of you." She smirked at the brunette.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Think you can keep it in your pants long enough to go in and say hello to our son?"

Emma nodded and walked slowly towards the front door.

As if on cue, Henry burst forth. "Emma, you're okay!"

"Hey kid." Emma smiled and hugged him as he threw his arms around her abdomen and buried his head in her stomach.

"Henry, why don't you go pour Emma a cup of cider while I help her up to bed?"

"Okay, mom." Henry beamed at Emma before darting back inside.

Regina led Emma inside and towards the guest bedroom she'd been staying in for nearly ten months. Emma looked at Regina with a pout.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's lonely at this end of the hallway. Can't I sleep with you?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Come on then."

Emma would have done a small celebratory dance were it not for the slight ache that still clung to her left side.

It didn't take long to get Emma settled into bed.

Henry brought her the cider and sat for nearly an hour, talking her ear off about everything that had been happening at school.

Finally, Regina sent him to bed. After he was gone, she sat down on the free side of the bed. "Emma, do you remember who you are…"

"I remember."

"Is it the truth?"

Emma studied Regina in profile until the older woman turned her gaze upon her.

"I'm her."

Regina slowly nodded. "If things had been different; if you hadn't escaped that day…"

"I know." She would have spent her existence as Snow's newborn daughter. She wouldn't have aged. Henry wouldn't have existed. She would have never have loved Regina. "Can I ask you something?"

Regina nodded.

"Would you have killed me?" Emma turned to her, fear evident on her face.

"What?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"You killed your own father to exact vengeance for his death… what if it had been me by your side… would you have sacrificed me for this curse?"

Regina studied Emma a long time before answering. "If you would have been by my side, there would have been no need for the curse, so no."

"What if I had died instead of him? Would you have killed your father still, to enact the curse as retribution for me?"

"Yes." That answer came without hesitation.

"Would you have sacrificed him?"

Regina froze. "Are you asking me something specific here Emma? Just come out with it."

"Did you love him more?"

Regina got up. She walked slowly away from Emma. "He was my first love. I was about the same age you were when you had Henry. I thought he… that the sun rose and set with him."

Emma nodded, accepting that. "I'm gonna go to bed." She started to turn, to put her back to the door and Regina, to effectively end the conversation.

"Emma." Regina grabbed her wrist to stop her from turning over. "I was wrong. I was young and when he died, I was gravely wounded. I truly believed there was nothing out there left for me. And I was right! There was nothing left for me _there_. But here… I can't regret the curse because it brought me you. And you… you're everything."

Emma looked at her for a long, silent moment. "Did you have a lavender dress when you were that age? It had white lace at the neckline and the hem and the sleeves were made…"

"Slightly too long. Yes, my father had it made for me." Regina stared at her in disbelief. "How do you know about that dress?"

Emma bit her lip.

"Emma!" Regina sat next to her on the bed. "Talk to me."

Emma sighed. "It's ridiculous."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "I'm from a magical fairytale world…what could you possibly tell me that would sound ridiculous?"

"I think I… maybe kinda… I don't know, went to the fairytale version of heaven."

"Heaven?" Well, that wasn't what she was expecting.

"I think I was given a choice, whether to live or die. If I decided to stay there, I'd die. But it was beautiful. I was home, for the first time, in the Enchanted Forest. You were there, in the lavender dress, all smile, completely unguarded. I think I could have stayed in that meadow with you forever."

Regina leaned over her, propping herself up on her elbows on either side of the blonde, staring intensely down at her. "So why didn't you?"

Emma frowned. "Because, it wasn't right. That's not my life. And that wasn't you." She reached up with her right hand and ran her thumb across Regina's full lower lip. "I love that you're damaged goods, just like me. I love that you're rough around the edges. You're a rose Regina, and all the most beautiful roses come with thorns." She let her hand drop. "Your father was there, so was _he_. Maybe it's where people from the Enchanted Forest go when they die."

Regina frowned. "But I'm not dead."

"I think she was there for a reason. I think maybe she was the part of you that died when the Evil Queen came into being."


	16. Secrets

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: wanted to get this posted before the episode tonight. which i can't wait for. i woke up today and went "it's sunday!". my sister thinks regina is unredeemable, but i don't... obviously. anyhoo, here's my usual update. currently working diligently on chapter 29. enjoy!

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"Wake up birthday girl."

Emma groaned until kisses softly peppered her face. She could get used to this. She smiled and her lips sought those of their assaulter. She pulled Regina down on top of her and smiled when her hands felt that the only thing separating her from the mayor's bare skin was the silk of her robe and a matching slip. She pulled at the sash but a hand stopped her.

"Henry's awake." Regina pulled the robe closed again but continued to kiss her. "He made you breakfast himself."

Emma shook her head slightly. "Sorry, haven't opened my eyes yet. I'm not awake until I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed."

Regina's voice became serious. "Well we might be waiting for quite some time then, because I was all over this body last night and I found no hint of any tail, bushy or otherwise."

Emma couldn't help it. She opened her eyes just so she could roll them. "Fine, I'm up."

"Good, get dressed. I'm going to go help Henry set the table." She got up.

Emma waited in the warmth of the bed for another minute before finally pushing herself up. She wandered into the closet, absentmindedly leafing through her clothes, pulling on some sweat pants and grabbing one of Regina's shirts. She smiled as she smelled the apple-centric scent that was Regina until something up above her head caught her eye. Up on a shelf was a box, unremarkable except for one thing, the thing that had caught her eye. On the side of the white box, written in Regina's elegant hand, was her name. Frowning, she reached up and pulled the box down. She sat on the floor with the box in her lap. Why did it have her name on it? Slowly, carefully she lifted the lid. The first things she pulled out was the tiara Henry had made her for her last birthday and her baby blanket. Then the note she'd left with them:

Regina. I love you and Henry so much. You are my home, never question that. But I can't stay here when I know how dangerous it will be for you both. I won't. I love you. Take care of Henry. Emma.

She set all three aside. They weren't what interested her. It was everything that was under them. Her business card from Boston, pictures of her dating all the way back to Phoenix. So that's how she'd gotten that information to run in the paper during Sydney's campaign for Sheriff. She'd been following Emma's life for a decade. But why? Was it just to keep tabs on Henry's biological mother, just to make sure she stayed at a distance? Why would she need to do that? The second Henry had left her arms… he hadn't even been Henry then, but a blue clad bundle with a wristband that said simply SWAN: BOY… she had ceased to know where he was. She'd always thought about him but she'd never made an effort to intrude on his life. Regina would have known within a couple years that she wasn't likely to intrude upon their family of her own accord. So why? Was it just paranoia? Unless… unless she'd known who Emma was. She'd known. That had to be it.

"Emma, really, how long does it take to put on clothes? Henry's is getting…" She turned into the closet and froze, staring down at Emma.

Emma held up the box. "What is this?"

"Emma…"

"Did you know?" Emma's hurt expression was enough of an accusation that she didn't even have to shout.

Regina opened her mouth but no words came out.

"_Did you know_?"

"I… suspected." She sighed. "At first it was Henry. I kept tabs on you to make sure you didn't change your mind. He's all I had for… too long. I never wanted to lose him and you were always that distant threat. I wanted to be prepared, have ammunition against you, just in case you ever decided to come for what I considered mine."

"When did it change?" Tears were running down Emma's cheeks.

"About a year before Henry brought you here."

"But… you were so cold to me in the beginning. If you knew…"

"I didn't! Not until the blanket, Emma, I swear. That's when I knew for sure."

Emma put the items back in the box, standing up and putting it back on the shelf with delicacy. It may be the symbol of Regina's betrayal, but it was also a chronicle of her life and she didn't have many of those. "You were so convincing when I told you. You made me feel… but it was a lie. You knew since I got here." She shook her head, wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath. She had to shake it off, at least for breakfast. "If you'll excuse me, Madame Mayor, our son is waiting."

But Regina blocked her way. "Don't do this Emma. I meant everything. You know I did. Until my meeting with Mr. Gold, I wanted you to break the curse. I love you."

Emma sighed, frustrated. "I don't doubt that. It's not a question of whether your feelings are genuine. I know you love me. But… you made me believe that it didn't matter that I was her daughter."

"It doesn't!"

"Yes, it does. You wouldn't have lied if you didn't have an issue with it. You would have called me out on who I was when I called you out on who you were." She tried to push past Regina but the mayor held strong and finally Emma gave up, circling the closet like a caged animal.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I love you Regina."

"Do you trust me?"

Emma stopped circling. She stared at Regina, unsure. "Yes."

"Then trust me when I say it doesn't matter. We have a 'leave your past at the door' policy, remember?"

Emma nodded. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Is this it?"

Regina's brow furrowed.

Emma pointed at the box. "Is this all you've lied to me about? Is it the only thing you've kept from me?"

Regina shook her head.

Emma looked destroyed. "There's more?"

"I wanted to tell you. It was impulsive. I was so hurt."

Emma's heart seemed to thud to a halt in her chest. "Graham. Oh God, Regina, _tell me you didn't_." Tears found their way down her cheeks. "I should have known. If the rest was real; if he really knew who he was, then the vault had to be real too. What'd you do?"

Regina took a shaky breath. "I think I killed him."

Emma's stomach gave a lurch and she collapsed to the ground sobbing.

Regina rushed forward and attempted to console her, but Emma pushed her away. "I stood up for you! I told Henry you weren't evil anymore! I believed you wanted to be good!"

"I do, Emma. I'm trying so hard to turn my back on what I was. It's a struggle, every day. Evil was a part of me for a very long time Emma. I saw him and you together and I just snapped. I know that's not an acceptable reason and if I could do it all over again..." She grabbed Emma's hand and just held it tighter when Emma tried to yank it away. "You make me want to be good, Emma Swan. You make me feel like a better person. I haven't been to the vault since the night he died. That's because of you."

Emma couldn't look at her. "Why?"

"Because he was interfering with my happy ending."

"I cared for him."

"So did I."

Emma wanted to hate her, wanted to be angry, a small part of her even wanted her dead, but she couldn't make herself feel that way. She didn't hate Regina; she couldn't hate Regina. Maybe that's the way it is when you find love; you start to explain away their faults because you want to believe they can change. Besides, in the end they'd follow Graham to the grave anyway.

"I believe that people change. We aren't our pasts, no matter what people say. I've done some bad things." She shook her head. "I can't forgive the Regina who did that." Finally she looked at Regina. "But you're not her anymore."

Regina held open her arms and ever so slowly Emma drifted over and into them. Regina wrapped her up in her arms, kissing her forehead. "I love you Emma."

Emma took a deep breath and realized her heart had resumed beating. It would take time to be okay with Regina's part in Graham's death, but her heart told her she couldn't stop loving Regina, no matter what demons haunted her past. "Come on, Madame Mayor, we have an impatient son waiting."

Regina smiled. "Lead the way Sheriff."

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The party at City Hall was a surprise. She enjoyed bringing in her thirties with all the people she'd come to love. But her world came crashing down around her when she was approached by Archie, or rather Jiminy Cricket. It felt surreal. The past ninety days had given her a false sense of security. She had almost completely forgotten about the curse and breaking it. But now… she was doing it again. This was not good.

She glanced across the hall to where Regina was dancing awkwardly with Henry. They'd come a long way, their little family. She couldn't run again. It wasn't an option. She was trapped in Storybrooke, just like they were. But she had to find some way to prolong the curse.

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Regina walked into the parlor, closing the door and holding out a glass of cider to Emma. Emma set it aside, grabbed Regina's and did the same. She looked at the clock. Five to midnight.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

Emma smiled and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck. "It's a tradition."

Regina pulled Emma closer, wrapping her arms around Emma's waist. "May I have this dance Princess?"


	17. Won't Go Home Without You

DISCLAIMER:: still don't own anything

A/N:: working on chapter 31. the creative juices are flowing, especially since the most recent episode was so regina-centric. i have a slightly huge crush on regina and it fuels my muse. anyways, here's a new update. we're on the verge of breaking the curse here people. what will that mean in regards to mr. gold's predictions? will emma and regina die? was he lying? we shall find out soon.

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"I don't know how to stop doing it."

Henry looked over at his mother as she stared out at the ocean almost as if she were wishing it could wash her problems away.

"You were meant to break the curse. It's what I brought you here for."

Emma sighed. "I know kid, but it was a different story before…" She trailed off.

"Before you fell in love with the Evil Queen?"

Emma let out a large puff of breath, sending a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her face scrambling. "Yeah." She glanced at him. "You know Henry, everything is not always so black and white. I always thought it was. Grey areas were just excuses for people who couldn't toe the line. There was right and wrong, good and evil. But that's not the case… she taught me that. People do bad things for good reasons, and they do good things for bad reasons." She stared back at the ocean wishing she could put Regina and Henry on a boat and let them sail away from Storybrooke. How would she ever get them out of this mess?

"So how do you plan on saving her?"

Emma sighed. "I don't know. She can't leave Storybrooke, and now, neither can I. It almost seems inevitable, like there's no choice." She shook her head. "But there's always a choice. I just have to find the loophole."

They were both quiet for a long time.

Then Henry's eyes went wide. He jumped down from the castle, nearly vibrating with excitement.

"Whoa kid, what is it?"

"I know how to save her!"

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"I think this is the craziest idea you've had yet." Emma looked at her son as if he'd grown three heads.

"It will work! I know it!"

Emma shrugged. "It's worth a try I suppose."

"Operation Deep Blue Sea commencing."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well you want to keep it a secret don't you?"

Emma shrugged. "Why?"

Henry stepped in front of her. "It should be a surprise."

"We don't even know if this is going to work. I've torn holes in the curse and magic is leaking through, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll work."

Henry gave her his signature pout.

"Oh fine. Operation Deep Blue Sea commencing." She threw up her hands in resignation.

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She ran her hands along the wood. It was magnificent, grand. "You've really outdone yourself Marco."

"It was nothing."

"I need to get it in the bedroom sometime before five."

He smiled. "Have no fear. We'll get it there."

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"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Henry ran out of the house in front of Emma.

She chuckled as he took the walkway with such enthusiasm, he nearly tripped.

Then Regina was there, looking slightly worried, standing on the driveway. "What's wrong Henry? Did something happen to Emma?"

"Nope. I'm fine."

"We have something to show you." Henry grabbed Regina's hand and started to drag her toward the house.

"Slow down Henry." She was in heels after all. Not exactly quintessential footwear when dragging was involved.

"Come on Mom, it's in the bedroom."

"What's in the bedroom?"

She was looking at Emma questioningly, but the blonde just shrugged, so Henry answered. "Your surprise. Now, close your eyes." Regina reluctantly complied.

Emma followed them up the stairs and down the hallway.

Henry pulled Regina across the hallway towards the room she shared with Emma where Marco had set up the magic wardrobe he'd carved from the tree. Emma pushed aside the door and they led Regina inside.

"Open your eyes."

Regina opened her eyes and was clearly surprised to see it. "It's beautiful." She walked around the bureau slowly, running her hand along the smooth wood.

"It's enchanted." Henry beamed at Regina. "It's going to save you, just like it saved her."

Regina looked between Henry and Emma. She wasn't quite sure she completely understood. Then the realization hit her. Finally she bent down and hugged Henry. "Thank you." Her eyes held Emma's over his shoulder. "I love it."

Henry beamed as he pulled away. He turned to Emma. "See, I told you."

Emma conceded. "You told me." She patted the boy on the back. "Why don't you go get ready for your appointment with Archie and I'll walk you over there, okay?"

Henry nodded and ran off. Emma waited until he'd disappeared into his room before turning back to Regina. The older woman was staring intently at her. "I see you're not as pleased as Henry thought you'd be."

"It's a sweet gesture."

"I'm sensing a but here."

"I don't want this." Regina ran her hand along the door of the wooden piece. "I can't go back."

Emma stepped forward. "I can't stop it. More and more of them are remembering what happened. The curse is breaking, slowly. You know what's going to happen. I don't want…"

Regina looked at her with tear streaked cheeks. "I can't Emma. I can't go back there and be alone again. Losing him almost destroyed my soul. You've helped me find it again. I can't go through losing you too. If this is the end, let's face it together."

Emma held out a hand and smiled easily when Regina's hand grasped it. "Are you sure?"

Regina nodded.

It was agreed upon that night that the bureau would be used on their son. Henry didn't need to share their fate. Upon realizing this Emma found a new respect for the decision her parents must have made and how much it truly must have broken their hearts to send her away, with just pure faith that she'd return for them one day. All she wanted was for Henry to be safe. Now he would be.


	18. As The World Falls Down

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: working on capter 33, so updates galore are in the queue and waiting to be posted. have also finished the next update for those of you who also read Actions Have Consequences and will post it as soon as i get a chance to upload it to my laptop from my flash drive. and i'm working on a third story for this particular ship, because i have nothing but time. medical has me off work and any strenuous activity for another two weeks and no leaving the flat at all until this saturday. so this ship is what's keeping me sane.

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Emma got up from the desk with a stretch. Time to go on patrol. She had to do them more frequently now that the town was remembering what had happened. Everyday their was a new citizen remembering his/her past. It was hard for Emma to keep up. They almost always freaked out and sought her out. She didn't know if it was because she was the Sheriff and that's who you'd go to in crisis situations, or if it was because they didn't remember her. That seemed to be the universal question they put to her: who were _you_?

She grabbed Graham's jacket, which she'd oddly grown fond of wearing, and headed out of her office. Mary Margaret Blanchard blocked the exit.

"I…" Mary Margaret looked like she was about to bolt.

"What's up?" Emma walked over to her.

Mary Margaret stared at her as she approached.

Emma shifted uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Mary Margaret laughed. "You've grown up."

Emma frowned. She'd just seen her two days ago at Granny's; she couldn't have grown up all that much in forty eight hours. Then the meaning dawned on her. "You remember."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Rumpelstiltskin said you'd break the curse. He was right." She smiled, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Her hand reached up and cupped Emma's cheek. "You grew up so beautiful. Your father will be so glad to see you."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Snow White's hand fell and she turned.

Regina was standing in the doorway.

Snow stepped protectively in front of Emma. "Regina."

Emma raised an eyebrow at her mother. Mary Margaret had never been this cold in the face of Regina, but then again, she wasn't really Mary Margaret anymore.

Regina seemed unfazed. "Snow."

"My daughter is breaking your precious curse. You have nothing left to threaten my family with."

"Don't be so certain of that." There it was, that old lethal flash in her eyes.

Emma looked between Regina and her mother. She had always been of the opinion that she and Regina had once brought out the worst in each other, but now she realized she had nothing on her mother in the way of drawing Regina's anger out. "Really? What are you guys going to do? Duel?" She rolled her eyes. "Mar… mom, Regina is good now. She's with me."

Snow's gaze slid to Emma and she shook her head. "She's a vile witch."

"Ooh, that hurt." Regina faked a hit to her pride, a sneer just beneath the surface.

"Don't trust her Emma; she only thinks about herself. Can't you see the hate in her heart? She's a cold creature."

Emma shook her head. She walked slowly around the woman who had been her best friend these past two year, unintentionally she found herself equal distance between her mother and Regina. "You're wrong; she loves me."

"She can't love you Emma."

"You know nothing!" Regina glared murderously at Snow. "Emma, darling." She held out her hand to the blonde.

"Emma. Come home with me. I want to know all about you." Snow mimicked Regina, raising her hand towards the blonde.

Emma felt torn, not an emotion she favored, and looked back and forth between them. So this was how the war was to be won between the adversaries who had started this whole thing... by her picking a side. She looked slowly at the mother she'd always wanted to know. She'd always dreamed, as a child, that somewhere out there was a family that wanted her. There was... she glanced back at Regina. Regina and Henry had wanted her. Her choice had been made long ago. She placed her hand in the Evil Queen's.

Regina smiled at Emma before smirking at Snow White, victory shining in her eyes. "She's not yours anymore."

Snow White looked at Emma sadly. She looked about to say something, but finally just walked past them and out the door.

Once she was gone, Emma turned to Regina. "Can't you at least make an effort to be nice?"

Regina frowned. "I could, but the effort might kill me."

Emma pushed her shoulder, playfully. She turned for the door. "I have to go on patrol."

"We don't have very much time left Emma."

Emma stopped and nodded. "I know."

"I think we should have lunch, talk about how we want to go about this."

Emma glanced over her shoulder, her face grim. "We can, but… there's no easy way to die Regina."

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They put Henry in the bureau that night. It was an emotional goodbye for them all. No one knew where he'd end up, but they both agreed it was the only way to guarantee his safety. He was only half fairytale-blooded. Who could say how the curse would effect him? He cried as they closed the doors and part of both women hoped the magic would fail, but when Emma reopened them a second later, there was only empty space where their son had been.

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"Where do you think he ended up?" Regina stared into her glass as if it would provide the answer.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know, but wherever he is, he's alive." She softened a little when she saw a tear running down Regina's cheek. "You know we had to do it right? We had to give him the best possible chance, just like my parents did thirty years ago for me."

Regina nodded. "I know. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. Doing the right thing is hardly ever easy."

Thunder cracked loudly outside the parlor window.

"It's going to be tomorrow." Emma glanced out the window at the darkening sky.

Regina downed the rest of her glass in one gulp. "So it would seem."

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Emma awoke to a sky that was as dark as night though the clock said it was almost ten. She walked to the window and stared at the storm clouds collecting in the east. They'd be here soon enough. She looked back at the bed, where Regina was sleeping, a smile on her face. She didn't want to wake her. Let her be asleep through it all... but Regina had made her promise last night that they would stare the end down together.

She walked back over to the bed and sat down softly next to Regina. "Hey, Regina, wake up."

Regina was instantly alert, shooting up. She looked straight to the window and sighed. "I dreamt…"

"That the world wasn't ending?" Emma stroked her cheek.

Regina nodded.

Emma smiled. "Get dressed. There's some place I want to take you."

Regina frowned. "Do we have time?"

Emma nodded. "We'll make it."

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"So this is Henry's castle?" Regina eyed the shamble of a playground, well, what had once been a playground. It was discreet, on the very outskirts of the harbor. No one would come over here. Smart boy.

Emma climbed up and held her hand down to help Regina up.

Regina shook her head. "It looks about to collapse."

Emma rolled her eyes. "We're facing the impending apocalypse and you're worried about the stability of old playground equipment?"

Regina grabbed her hand. "Point taken."

Emma sat down facing the ocean as she had many a time with Henry. Regina lowered herself down next to the blonde.

"He'd be mad if he knew you'd given up his secret, especially to me."

Emma frowned. "I have a feeling he'll forgive me." She glanced at Regina. "I love it here. If I'm facing the end, I'd like it to be here, on my terms."

"I'm sorry, for the curse." Regina couldn't meet her gaze. "It was selfish."

"Isn't it ironic that the second you start being unselfish it causes this?"

Regina frowned. "What?"

Emma grabbed her hand. "I'm not the one doing it." She looked up at the sky. "The curse. It's not me. It's you. I'm not the key. Your redemption is, the abolition of your hatred." Emma smiled. "Your hate for my mother started this… and your love for me is what's ending it."

Regina was quiet for a long time. "Are you scared?"

Emma smiled and shook her head. "I'm with you." She leaned her head on Regina's shoulder. "I still wish I could have saved you."

"We all die eventually Emma."

Emma shook her head. "Not you. Not yet."

Regina watched the coming storm with a look of resignation. She'd always known her demise was a possibility. Rumpelstiltskin had made that apparent from the very beginning. It only hurt to know that Emma would be lost as a result of her selfish decisions.

Emma grabbed Regina and pulled her in for a heated kiss. "I love you Regina."

Regina's eyes were filled with tears. "And I love you Princess. Thank you."

Emma wiped away her tears. "For what?"

"For showing me I'm not alone."

Then the storm swept over them.

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A/N:: we have reached the end of our curse, but not the end of our story. there's still so much unanswered. will emma and regina go back to the fairytale world with the rest of storybrooke? where will the wardrobe send henry? can snow forgive regina? and what about mr. gold? will his prediction come true? answers to come, i promise. enjoy and review.


	19. Mirror Mirror

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: wasn't going to post this until saturday, but after all the messages and reviews i got stating how none of you could stand to wait... well, i have never been one to prolong anyone's suffering. henceforth, we are in the fairytale world. the rules here are much different because magic, among other things, come into play. it gets slightly more complex here, but i'm hoping everyone will still enjoy this story as much as you have so far.

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The past thirty years in Storybrooke flew before her eyes like a continuous stream of consciousness except in reverse. Wind swirled around her in a black and gray cloud, screaming in her ears, carrying pictures of her life. She remembered everything but it was as if time were being erased, as if Emma and Henry were being erased. She tried to slow it down, to stop it from happening, but she couldn't move, couldn't feel Emma's presence any longer, couldn't even think. And then the ride stopped, and blackness enveloped her.

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Regina opened her eyes and she found herself in a small round stone chamber, the stuffed animals and toys crowding the floor space and walls. She was back in the play room. She looked around the room, at her confused guards and then to the woman on the floor. She was still clutching her husband's head in her lap. She looked just as confused as the guards.

"Where's the curse? What happened?" Snow White looked up at her, the tears still streaking down her cheeks.

The Evil Queen glanced at her guards. "Get someone here to heal his wounds. Now!" She looked at Snow White. "Your debt has been paid. I will bother you no longer." She turned for the door.

"Was it Emma? Did she somehow stop the curse?"

The Evil Queen stopped, her eyes slamming shut to ward off the pain that threatened to seep into her, but she forced it away and her eyes opened again. "Emma. Yes, Emma saved us all."

Snow White smiled through her tears. She had known Emma would come back for them. "Where is she?" She looked around the room but the only thing that remained but them was the sealed cupboard that had taken Emma away.

The Evil Queen felt tears start to sting her eyes. "She's gone. Your daughter gave herself up to break the curse." She left Snow White and walked out into the hall, a wail of anguish from the mourning mother following her out. Her captain of guards was waiting for her there. "Prepare my carriage. We withdraw."

The past thirty years had never existed. It was to be her punishment, she knew, to be the only one who remembered. She wondered if Emma was alive and if so was she once again on the side of that freeway, wrapped up snuggly in her baby blanket? Would she have a happier life this time around? Would she make different choices? Would she have Henry? If she did, where would he go when she gave him up? Would he seek her out on her twenty eighth birthday? Would she meet someone who understood her even half as well as Regina did? Would she ever feel complete or would something, something she couldn't quite place, always be missing? Would she feel alone? All these questions and a million more surged through her mind. It was the first time Regina spared no thought to her own happiness.

A guard approached. "Your carriage is ready, Your Grace."

She nodded and, with one last look back towards the door of the playroom, she walked away down the hall and back to a lonely existence.

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"Show me!" Regina paced in front of the mirror, so enraged steam could almost be seen radiating off her.

The floating head in the mirror stared back at her defiantly but when he saw the purple electricity pulsing down her fingers, he relented. He faded away and was replaced by an image of Emma Swan.

Regina rushed to the mirror, bracing her hands against the wall on either side and leaning in until her face was less than a foot from the glass. Her Emma, just as she remembered her. Sometimes it would be a scene of Emma laughing with Henry, sometimes it would be of her sleeping, or relaxing in the parlor. Four months without Emma had seemed an eternity, but being able to call up her image in the mirror helped keep the old emptiness away. What she really wanted was to see Emma as she was now, but she knew better than to ask. The mirror could only call up that which it had seen in a reflection before, and, after a convenient spell from her, anything from her own memory. That was all that was left to her now, a memory that she spent the majority of her day dwelling in and these faint glimpses on the glass. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Is she alive?"

She put the question to her glass oracle every day but he never answered. So she was amazed when Emma faded and his face reappeared.

_When the curse broke, the Swan's light was extinguished…._

Regina felt her heart sputter. Emma died? How was that possible? How was that _fair_?

_From her ashes rose a Princess, now quite distinguished._

Regina frowned. She was about to ask him to elaborate when one of her guards interrupted them.

"A message, Your Grace, from Queen Snow White."

Regina's brow furrowed. What could that woman possibly want of her now. They'd met a week after the breaking of the curse to form a treaty. The Enchanted Forest was divided, 'good' on one side, 'evil' on the other. As long as neither crossed the boundary lines there was to be peace between them. Regina had had no reason to argue; she'd retreated to her castle and there she had stayed for the next four months, brooding over the loss of her true love.

She took the scroll from the guard and waved him off. The paper was heavy and of a fancy quality. She broke the seal and opened it, unrolling it to expose grand calligraphic script.

"The King and Queen invite you to their castle for a party honoring their daughter and the Enchanted Forest's savior of happy endings, Princess Emma." The parchment slipped from her hands and fell swiftly down to the floor. "She's here." Regina had always assumed she'd remained back there in that world if she'd even survived. But what if she didn't? What if she came through too? She had been born here after all, though her stay had been brief. But it had to count for something, right?

"Emma is alive. And she's here, in the Enchanted Forest." She smiled. She had no idea if Emma even remembered her life in the other world, their life, but this formal invite gave her one thing she'd been lacking for the past four months. Hope.

She summoned her dressmaker.

"I need you to fit me for something new, something grand. I have a ball to attend."


	20. This Is How A Heart Breaks

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: twitter is making me feel incredibly old. i so can't keep up! i don't know how anyone does it! maybe i'm just not figuring out the trick here, or something. anyway, small rant over. so whereas the first half of this fic took place in storybrooke and was almost exclusively about emma's experiences, the accident and losing her memory, all the enchanted forest half is going to center around regina and her quest for happiness and redemption. and, as a quick note... i do love emma, without her, there would be no swan queen, there'd just be queen... which, come to think of it, is perfectly okay with me too. but i love love love this chapter. i adore it and it was actually the first chapter i wrote for this story... this is the chapter that started it all, with some minor adjustments of course. thanks to everyone who's still with this story. i love you all.

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Regina, though definitely feminine, had never been one to worry over what to wear or her appearance. Confidence naturally leaked from every pore, so she never felt the need to worry about something so trivial as her outfit. She took pride in her appearance only for her own benefit. But this… it was _Emma_. She wanted to be beautiful to Emma, someone she would feel was worthy of her trust. For all Regina knew, Emma had no recollection of her, or she could even have returned to her infant state. Her dress was not black for once, as per her request, but a deep crimson, made of rich silk. The front was cut in a deep v and it fit closely, but not too closely… if Emma was an infant she wasn't aiming to try and seduce her. And, in an extremely unusual move for her, she left her hair down. It had been thirty years since she'd had this much hair to work with; she'd forgotten how much of a chore it could be.

A guard entered her chambers. "Your carriage awaits, Your Grace."

She nodded, turned and followed the guard out of her chambers.

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"Regina, you came." Snow White looked wary but surprised as Regina stepped out from the carriage. She hadn't been quite sure that Regina would accept the invitation. Just because the residents of the Enchanted Forest couldn't remember the curse, or what had transpired during the last thirty years, didn't mean they didn't remember her threats and many misdeeds.

Regina didn't waste any time on the usual pleasantries. She stepped up to the Queen, though not threateningly. "Did you know she was alive when we signed that treaty? Was it meant to keep me away from her?"

Snow White flinched. "It was James's idea. He said it was the only way. He felt it best to keep you away. So do I."

"But you _invited_ me." Regina raised a brow. If they thought she was so evil, why invite her here, right to the doorstep of the thing she wanted most?

Snow shrugged. "James felt it was important you be here tonight." There was obviously more to the situation, but she didn't speak on the matter further.

"Where did you find her?"

"She was in the wardrobe, where we'd put her before, unconscious and clutching her baby blanket. A guard found her the morning after. It didn't take long to realize who she was."

Regina frowned. It must have been traumatic for Emma. This world had to have been surprising and unsettling. She would have needed time to adjust. Had they given her that? "How is she?"

Snow White smiled. "She asks after you all the time. She's healthy, and so beautiful. She's a little nervous about being on display for all the Enchanted Forest to see. Parties aren't her thing." Snow White had the wistful, proud mother look down.

_Or mine._ "Can I see her?"

"I don't think that is such a good idea." Snow White shook her head.

"Snow… please."

Snow White had never heard Regina ask politely for anything; she always just took whatever she wanted. In all the time she had known her stepmother, she had been a woman of demand and little patience for those who refused to obey. She never asked for anything. Finally Snow White nodded. "Come with me." She turned and led Regina inside and through a series of corridors until they stopped outside a thick wooden door. Snow White knocked once and then opened the door.

She was inside staring out the only window the room had to offer, her hair swept romantically upward, tendrils falling down here and there to frame her face. A tiara, a real one this time, crowned her of her royal title. Even though the white strapless gown, with its silver embroidery of swans on the bodice, wasn't really her style, she looked stunning in it. The tight bodice showed that she'd lost weight since Regina had last seen her and the brunette felt a pang of guilt. Emma was obviously struggling here. When the door opened, she turned to look at her intruders. It took her a moment to register who was standing there with her mom, but when she realized who it was, her entire face lit up. "Your hair… it's so long. I barely recognized you."

Regina took a step into the small room, barely able to contain the flood of emotion and want that wrenched through her heart. "Emma."

And then the blonde was in her arms, hugging her so hard she could barely breath. "I missed you Regina."

"I missed you too." Regina pulled away just enough to stare into the blonde's face. She wanted to kiss her desperately, to convey how much she'd missed her. It was her Emma, just as she'd remembered her.

"I'll give you two a minute." Snow White smiled and backed out, closing the door behind her.

Emma's hands caressed her face. "This doesn't feel real, any of it." She gazed around her room pointedly. "I still feel like I'm going to wake up any second; I'll be back in Boston blowing out the candle on that cupcake on my twenty-eighth birthday."

Regina smiled. "It takes some getting used to, but in time it'll feel as if you've lived here your whole life. This place is in your blood after all."

Emma beamed and pulled Regina back in for another hug. "I'm just so glad you're here. I've been dying to see you."

Regina pulled back. "Emma… why did you wait so long?"

Emma pulled away slowly and resumed her position by the window. "It took forever to get him to agree to let you come tonight."

"Who?"

"My father." She looked at Regina, tears making rivers down her cheeks. "They don't understand it. No one remembers Storybrooke; it's as if the curse never happened. They don't know about us. The first time I mentioned your name… they thought I was crazy. They said I must have a death wish, being her daughter and asking to see you. I stole a horse one night, but I didn't make it far. I don't know these lands. It wasn't that hard to catch me." She glanced back out the window, touching the glass as if wishing she could escape. "We're announcing my engagement tonight. It's the only reason he agreed to let you come, to rub salt in the wound."

The anger surged up in Regina. "To _who_? You've only been here a couple months. They can't be serious! I'm going to speak with him!"

Emma shook her head frantically and grabbed Regina's arm. "Please don't. It took forever for him to agree to let you come. I need you here, to help me get through this night. Please."

"Emma, it was supposed to be _us_, you and me."

Emma leaned up and kissed Regina gently. "I warned you that people like us don't get happy endings."

Regina was about to comment when the door opened. Snow White was standing there. "It's time."

Emma looked at her mother. "I'll be out in one moment." The second Snow White was gone she grasped Regina's hand. "Please stay. Promise me you'll stay."

"I promise." Regina pulled Emma close and kissed her deeply. If this was the last kiss they'd ever share, she was going to make sure it was one to remember.

Emma was breathless as Regina finally released her. She smiled, her hand finding its way to the brunette's cheek. "You're exactly as I remembered you… well, except for the hair. But perfect all the same." She gave Regina one last look, her hand dropping slowly and then disappeared out the door.

Regina was left with nothing to do but make her way to the ballroom, her heart breaking all over again.

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It was like walking into a lion's den, and for the first time, Regina herself was not the lioness in this scenario, but the gazelle, the prey. A hush swept over the crowd and all eyes shifted to her. Any one of them could raise a cry, call her out for this obvious violation of a treaty she helped design, but no one spoke, no one accused her of anything. Rather, after a moment, they all turned their attention back to their previous activities and ignored her. It was unexpected, the King must have ordered her safe for just this night, so he could throw the betrothal in her face and humiliate her. At that moment, she almost wished someone would pick a fight.

A page tapped the butt of his staff on the floor of the dais. "Presenting the King and Queen and their daughter Princess Emma, savior of the Enchanted Forest."

The entire hall cheered as the three royals appeared and climbed the dais. She saw Emma's eyes sweep the crowd until they found hers and they shared several emotions without words.

The page wasn't finished though. "And presenting the Princess' betrothed, Prince Bae."

The man who climbed the dais was young and handsome and a man she didn't recognize. The prince was older than Emma by a few years, with black hair. He stood beside his bride, but Emma's eyes never left hers, even as a cheer rippled through the crowd.

Prince Bae leaned down and whispered something in Emma's ear and she managed a small smile, looking up at him. She gave his forearm a slight squeeze and nodded.

The King gave a speech that she barely heard and then everyone had resumed their dancing. Emma left her husband-to-be's side the second she could and made her way over to Regina.

"You're marrying _him_?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I know. He's sweet, but... he's not you. I wish I had a choice." She glanced back over her shoulder at the man she was supposed to love now.

Regina wanted to be angry, but she could see Emma really didn't need that right now. "Will you dance with me, Miss Swan?"

Emma turned a loving gaze on Regina at the sound of her old name, her smile was wide and she nodded. She placed her hand in Regina's and the older woman led her out onto the dance floor. Once they had found a spot, Emma's arms found their way around Regina's neck and Regina's found her waist. They moved together with the familiarity of old lovers, their gazes belonged only to each other. Time, and Bae, were generous enough to give them several songs. Then he was at her shoulder.

"May I cut in?"

Regina reluctantly released her hold on Emma. She frowned as Bae just nudged her aside and took Emma into his arms, twirling her away. Regina retreated, seething, to the sidelines, a place she wasn't entirely used to. She had to figure out a plan. Marriage had ruined her life once and she wasn't about to let it ruin her again.

She didn't have to think for very long however. She heard Emma's voice shout her name. Nobody heard the _whoosh_ of the arrow as it sliced through the air. Then it was protruding from a slender back, red pooling through white silk, like dye. She hadn't even seen Emma running towards her, let alone had time to register as the Princess stepped in front of her to block her. She watched in horror as Emma's hand went to her face, light green eyes conveying joy that Regina was safe and then the Princess was sliding down to the floor. Prince Bae was pointing for the guards to seize the culprit, a stranger in green hooded roughspun. He swung and retreated from the balcony where he'd fired from.

Two guards rushed forward. Ugh, didn't they ever learn? She flung them aside without a second thought, falling to the ground, Emma spread out across her lap. Bae came to her side and made a grab for Emma but she pushed his arm aside. "Don't you dare _touch_ her!" The lethal tone gave him pause and the good sense to back away. The arrow, thankfully, had gone through, the head glared, red and angry, from her chest.

"I have to take the arrow out, okay? You're going to be fine." She broke the head off and tossed the bloody metal aside. "I have to pull the shaft out. It's going to be painful."

Emma was already ghostly pale, but she nodded. "I trust you."

Regina grabbed the shaft still sticking from her back and, in one swift stroke, pulled it out. Emma's scream was bloodcurdling, but after a moment it died down to hyperventilated moans. Blood was pouring from both wounds. It didn't take Regina long to realize the arrow had punctured a lung. Emma was dying. The guards had ushered everyone from the ballroom except her, Bae, and the King and Queen.

Emma's breathing was shallow little lifts and falls of her chest. "I love you."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "You will not _die_, do you hear me Miss Swan? I demand that you live."

Emma tried to chuckle, but it turned into a coughing fit that left blood stains on her lips. "I'm so glad you're here."

Regina frowned. This was just like the car accident. She couldn't go through this again. Where would Emma go if she died here? Humanity's theories on an omnipotent being and his promised land meant nothing here. "Emma, I'm going to try my best to heal you. It's going to hurt." She placed her hand over the wound and violet electricity moved from it into Emma's body. The blonde thrashed and screamed. Her tissues were stretching and remolding themselves to fill the hole. Finally, Regina pulled her hand away.

"Did it work witch?" Bae was leaning over her shoulder.

Regina resisted the urge to fling him aside as she had with the guards. It would be so easy, but no. She settled for glaring at him until he fell back a step. Regina lifted Emma into her arms. "I need to get her into bed. She needs rest while the tissues repair."

"Regina…"

She looked down at the blonde, deathly pale in her arms. "What darling?"

An invisible energy spread out from the blonde, parting the air as it pulsed outward in all directions and then all was normal again.

Emma stared intensely into her eyes. "All magic comes at a cost."

And those were the last words Princess Emma spoke.

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A/N:: i know, i know. everyone is probably letting out a frustrated cry, but i have to keep you guys on your toes. bet no one saw that coming, or maybe you did. is emma dead and if so, what magic cost emma her life? is this mr. gold's prediction come true? who's the hooded stranger who fired the arrow and will they catch him? answers to come, but in the meantime... theories, anyone?


	21. She Wouldn't Be Gone

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: first of all, i want to thank NadezhdaSt for continually giving me reviews that make me smile as well as being the only one to pick up on who Bae is. he wasn't really a significant character but i thought at least a few more people would remember him. and all ye of little faith... nowhere in chapter 20 did it ever say _WHO_ was forcing emma to marry, just goes to show what a little manipulation of words can make people assume *grins*. i will answer all questions soon. rumpelstiltskin will make an appearence soon, as well as henry, but also keep in mind, with the exception of regina, no one remembers the curse and therefore no one remembers henry.

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"It's sweet of you to look after her."

Regina looked up from her chair by the bed. She hadn't moved since they'd carried Emma in here the previous day. She had alternated between lying next to the comatose woman on the bed when no one else was around and containing herself to an ornate chair placed by the bed when others were nearby. She didn't want King James to kick her out for laying in bed with his engaged daughter.

Snow White came into the room. "Thank you, for what you've done for her."

"I'd do anything for her. She's done so much for me. I just hope I've done enough." Regina brushed aside a strand of hair from Emma's face. Even like this, she was beautiful. Regina felt a pang of sadness. She'd lost so much already. First, she'd had to give up her son to save him from the curse. It still hurt her to think of him, to try and picture his face. Now, just as she'd found Emma, seen that the blonde still remembered their time together, still loved her, she might lose her again... It was cruel, and unfair. "Thank you, for letting me stay by her side. I know it must not have been easy for you."

Snow White inclined her head as a way of you're welcome and went to the opposite side of the bed. "How do you know Emma?"

Regina's head shot up. Did she just hear that correctly? "Excuse me?"

Snow White's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry. It's just… Emma doesn't have many friends. Sometimes she goes out riding all day, but she's never mentioned meeting anyone of significance on her rides. Not until Bae."

Regina couldn't believe her ears. "You don't know me?"

Snow White looked utterly stumped. "No, I'm sorry. If we've met before I'm afraid I don't remember."

"You don't remember your father's second wife?"

Snow White looked at her as if she were crazy. "My father never remarried after my mother died. He sought the hand of a young woman, but her heart belonged to someone else." Snow White studied her. She did look familiar, but if she had met her before, it had been long ago. "What's your name?"

Regina glanced at Emma. "Regina. Emma and I… she's my best friend."

Snow White's smile was back. "I shall have a room prepared for you Lady Regina."

Regina shook her head. "I don't want to leave her."

Snow White nodded. "How about if I have the parlor set up for you? It's just through that door there. You'll be close enough to be here at a moment's notice."

Regina slowly nodded. She glanced suspiciously at Snow White. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

Snow White smiled at the girl on the bed. "Shortly after Emma was born she crawled into this enchanted wardrobe. It… sent her somewhere. She just came back to us very recently. I may not know you, but Emma does and anything she holds dear will be treated with the utmost respect here." She moved away from the bed. "I'll have your room set up straight away, as well as a bath drawn and some new clothes set out; that dress must be tiresome."

Regina still didn't quite understand what was happening. "Thank you."

Snow White inclined her head and departed.

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"Have you captured the man who did this?" Regina examined the wound. It wasn't healing as well as she'd hoped it would.

James looked down at his daughter sadly and shook his head. "The guards searched everywhere but it seems as if he used some magic to escape."

"Why would anyone want Emma dead? Or I guess I should be asking myself why anyone would want me dead." She could think of a million reasons and twice as many suspects. That arrow had been meant for her, of that she had very little doubt.

"Some of our people aren't happy with her choice of husband."

Regina started to choke and James looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

She took a deep breath to gain her composure and nodded. "Emma _chose_ to marry?"

James nodded. "Snow and I thought it was much too soon, that it was first love run away with her senses, but she was adamant. Baelfire was her true love and she must marry him before the next turn of the moon." He shrugged sheepishly. "I love her… how could I refuse her request?"

Regina frowned. Baelfire. She'd never heard of him before. "What kingdom is he from?"

James shook his head. "He's no prince except in title. He isn't even a lord. He's merely a common man, but so was I once upon a time. But still, the people are not as happy with her selection as we had hoped. He comes from a, let's say... less than savory lineage."

It didn't make any sense. Emma didn't love Bae, Regina had read it in every expression, every gesture. She had thought Emma was being forced into the betrothal, but she knew James wasn't lying. Like Snow before him, he didn't remember her either. He'd told much the same story. Emma had crawled into the wardrobe and been lost, only to reappear as the thirty year old now lying on the bed. It was almost as if… Regina herself had never existed.

Regina felt Emma's forehead and it gave her pause. "She's running a fever."

"What does that mean?" James stepped closer to the bed, eager to be of help.

"Hopefully, it's an infection."

"Hopefully?"

Regina frowned. "Believe me, sire, that's preferable to the alternative. Help me get her out of this."

She'd had her ruined dress from the ball removed immediately once she'd been brought to the bed so the wound could be covered with a poultice, but they'd dressed her in a cotton night dress to retain her modesty.

James hesitated, but one glare from Regina obviously clarified the depth of urgency. He helped her remove the night dress, then turned immediately away.

"Go get Snow White, someone female. I need help and I can't have you turning away every five seconds."

He ran from the room. It seemed like an eternity before she came in with two servant girls, though it had probably been less than a minute.

Regina turned to the servant girls. "I need hot towels, water, both cold and hot. Down in the garden… do you know what an Isic Berry is?… I need that as well as the night flower, a mortar and pestle, some fresh linen strips too. Go!" The girls scrambled away as fast as their legs would carry them.

"What's going on? Is she alright?" Snow White was beside Regina.

"I need you to start a fire."

Snow White just stared down at Emma.

"Snow!"

Finally, she moved.

"I need to reopen her wound. There may be an infection." No need to worry them if that's all it was.

She worked tirelessly for nearly an hour, magically exploring the wound for any signs of infection. She found none. She repaired everything she'd done and then crushed the berries and flower petals into the most potent salve she knew. She spread it on the linen strips and wrapped the wounds back up. Once she was done she ordered the servant girls away. Washing her hands in the basin of cold water the girls had brought up, she stared sadly at Snow White.

"Is it bad?"

Regina grabbed the hidden dagger from her boot and grabbed Emma's right arm. She pierced the soft white flesh of her forearm, digging down until the tip nicked open one of her veins. A dark, almost midnight blue liquid trickled out. Regina staunched the bleeding with one of the hot towels.

"You have to find the person who shot her."

Snow White frowned. "We're searching everywhere. We have half the guards on it."

"Put all the guards on it!"

"What's wrong with her?"

Regina looked down at Emma. "The arrow was poisoned. If we don't find him and find out what poison he used... I'm not sure I'll be able to save her."


	22. Little Drop Of Poison

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: just wanted to send out an update before walking into the city for the first time since my surgery... just in case it doesn't go awesome. reviews are love and i love everyone who's taken an interest in this fic. it's grown so much from the original concept and that's because of the encouragement and support of everyone who reads. i promise all questions will be answered slowly but surely. and as i always remind everyone, i'm a huge believer in happy endings and i try and write them in whenever possible. i must say that i find the interactions between characters in the Enchanted Forest much more fun to write. i love the classical feel of the way they talk... but anyway... red, review, and enjoy.

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Emma got progressively worse that night as the poison took up root in her system. Regina stayed at her bedside, jumping up at every update from the guards. But by dawn the next morning they still came back unsuccessful. So a meeting was called in the castle's council chambers.

"It's just impossible. There is too much area to cover. He could have help. He could even be using magic." The lead guard was leaning out of his seat and across the stone table talking to James, trying to convince him they'd tried their best.

Regina would have none of it. "Excuses! Every single one of you can come up with a million excuses but you can't find a single man? Incompetent, the lot of you! Your Princess is lying in bed, dying, and you claim there is no way to track her attacker down?" She paced behind James's chair. "Fine. I will find him."

James turned in his chair to look at her. "You Lady Regina?"

Regina nodded. "If he used magic… I can follow his magical signature like a hound follows a scent. I will have him in custody before nightfall." With a twirl of her skirts, she turned and stormed out of the chamber.

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She pulled on her riding gloves and looked towards the horse they'd saddled for her. It was a fine specimen, a coat of sable and a mane of jet black, a magnificent beast. He would serve her well.

"Are you planning to kill him?"

Regina looked over, surprised to see Snow approaching her across the yard. She regarded the woman who had once been her sworn enemy. She found she had little rage left towards Emma's mother. If not for her deed, a thing that had once embodied the greatest betrayal, she would never have met Emma. She would just be some Princess who lived happily ever after, just like they always did. No, she no longer hated Snow White.

"I don't know."

"You seemed angry enough, in Emma's room." Snow White stopped beside her.

"Come now, Your Grace, you've never been the innocent girl they have always presumed." She smirked at the once hated woman.

Snow White regarded her for a moment before smiling. "No, I haven't." She turned and helped Regina fasten her riding cloak. "I want you to kill him."

The words were so soft that Regina could have mistaken them for the wind, but she knew better. "Are you sure?"

Snow White nodded. "Find out what you need to know and then make sure he'll never be able to hurt her again."

Regina nodded. "As you wish." She glanced at the small troupe of men ordered to accompany her. "What of the guards?"

Snow White frowned. "Do what you will, they won't care either way."

Regina turned away.

"Lady Regina?"

Regina glanced over her shoulder at the Queen.

"Hurry."

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"This is where we lose the physical tracks." The lead guard of her party pointed to a break in the trees.

Regina dismounted. She walked slowly through the trees to the place the man indicated. She could see the hoof prints enter the small clearing then move to each side _as if_ the rider were deciding the best course of escape. But she knew better. It was a tactic meant to confuse any possible pursuers. This assassin was no fool. Good... she could use a challenge. She closed her eyes, a small incantation tumbling from her lips. When she opened her eyes the tracks continued off to the south as if they'd been there the whole time.

The lead guard gasped. "We missed them! But how?"

Regina rolled her eyes and mounted her black charger once again "It was a cloaking spell. It would have run out itself eventually, but not before the Princess had succumbed to the poison."

They followed the tracks for miles until they emerged from the forest in a small village. People emerged from doorways all around them, one man stepping up to the party. "Can we help you?"

"My name is Lady Regina." She paused, still expecting them to recognize her from before, but she was surprised to find they knew her as little as Snow and James did. "We are looking for a man who rode through this village some four nights past. He was last seen wearing a cloak of green. He may have sought shelter or sustenance with one among you. If you have any information regarding someone who matches that description, I urge you to come forward in the name of King James. You will be rewarded for any information that leads to the direct capture of this individual."

The townsfolk looked around at each other.

"There was no man rode through here four nights past." The same man who had asked their business was the one who answered.

"Since you seem to be the only person in this village who has a tongue… I call you liar, sir, for look upon the ground which you stand. We have been following those tracks from the castle. I guarantee that rider was here. Who he talked to and how long he stayed is the information I require, as well as where he went when he left." In the days before the curse she would have made an example of this man, but by some miraculous twist of fate, she'd been given a second chance, a clean slate. It would do no good to start off her second chance by flaying a villager in front of his people.

He looked down and seemed shocked to see the prints… or more accurately, shocked that _she_ could see the prints. "What… where… how…" He seemed frightened.

"You forgot 'when' and 'who'." She rolled her eyes and then looked at all the villagers in turn, her gaze icy. "That rider is wanted for the attempted murder of the Princess. Anyone found to be aiding this criminal in any way will be found guilty of treason. I'm sure I do not need to remind you that is a crime punishable by death." She scanned the crowd. "Good people, I do not mean to scare you. I see no reason why anyone here has to suffer such a fate. Merely tell me what you know and we will be on our way."

The village voice stared at her with fear in his eyes, but it wasn't for her. "I'm sorry. We can't help you."

She studied the faces of the villagers, desperate for some flicker… and she was rewarded. Several eyes nervously shifted to look at a young girl, maybe twenty one, pretty. Then they'd quickly shift back to stare at the ground. "Fools. Your silence has helped me enough." She spurred her horse into gear and he plowed forward. The crowd gave a cry of shock and jumped out of the way as he came charging forward. She leaned off to the right side and with an easy grace, scooped the girl up and threw her over the horse in front of her. She reined in at the other side of the crowd. "You let the one who I seek know that I have the girl. If he wants her back, and I'm quite sure he will, tell him to meet me in the clearing where he covered his tracks." She gave a pointed look to her guards and they all turned, bolting back into the woods the way they had come.


	23. Battlefield

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: thanks for all the support and reviews. updates will be a little less frequent now, unfortunately, i'm finally medically cleared to go back to work and school as of last thursday morning. being a full-time student, full-time manager, and full-time mom has maybe overpacked my plate just a little, but i still got enough updates stored up to keep us afloat for a while. now, time to unmask our hooded stranger...

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The girl's name was Peyton and her beloved was going to kick Regina's ass. Or at least that was what she repeated to Regina the whole ride back to the clearing. When they got there, Regina dismounted and pulled the girl down with her. She was gorgeous, though like most eighteen year olds, she had no idea how to best accentuate her beauty. Her hair was a deep black that made her complexion seem paler than it actually was, and it tumbled down to the small of her back. Her eyes were so light of a blue that they almost appeared to be white. She was fit, but had gentle curves and hips good for child bearing. She was quite the specimen. If this were a time before the curse, Regina might have whipped her into submission and kept her. But those days were behind her and she smirked at the girl's continued defiance in the face of danger. Whoever this hooded stranger was, he was very lucky to have tamed something so beautiful.

"Why did your beloved try to murder the Princess?"

The girl crossed her arms and raised an indignant eyebrow at Regina in response.

"Don't try my patience child. I'm not someone you want to defy."

"I'm not a child; I'm twenty. I'm a woman grown. I'm to be married within a fortnight."

"Fine. Why did your beloved try to murder the Princess?" She repeated her earlier question.

Peyton narrowed her eyes at Regina, still defiant. But finally she sighed. "She wasn't supposed to be in the way! He never misses; his aim is always true. Until now. He was sent to kill an evil witch."

"Sent? By whom?"

"I don't know." She could tell from Peyton's expression that the girl wasn't lying. "There's a tree in the woods north of the village. It has a hole at its heart. He gets his orders there. I don't know who sent it."

"He's a Green Cloak." It made sense now. "Your betrothed is an assassin?"

"For good!"

Regina chuckled dryly. "Believe me dear, I've learned the hard way that doing bad things for the right reasons still counts as doing bad things and people treat you accordingly. His arrow was true that night. The Princess stepped in front of the intended target, protecting what you have referred to as an evil witch. She saw value in life, even a wicked one. What is she? Collateral damage?" Regina frowned. "It is never noble to kill someone with poison, whether you consider yourself to be on the side of good or evil. The Princess would have survived the attack easily enough had the arrow not been tainted. Do you know what poison it was, girl? I can still save her if you tell me."

This time she heard the arrow because she was prepared for it. She caught it, the point inches from her heart. She grabbed Peyton and pulled her in front of herself, holding the arrow to her throat. "Clever boy, but I'm never fooled by the same trick twice. Come now, shoot again. This time it will be _your_ love who pays the price."

"Let her go." The hooded stranger dropped into the other side of the clearing some six feet in front of them. His fists glowed with a green energy and there was a threat to his voice.

"Ooh, do I sense a challenge?" She passed Peyton off to the lead of her escort. "Keep a sword to her throat and keep all the guards out of the clearing; this could get messy. Don't kill the girl unless he comes after you. Regardless of what happens to me, she is innocent. If he wins, do whatever it takes to find out what poison he used." The guard nodded and pulled Peyton back, the sword to her throat.

"I said _let her go_." He gave no other warning than the malice in his tone, and threw his energy out towards Regina in a bolt. She waved it aside easily.

"You have power, for a boy, I'll give you that, but you cannot hope to match me. What poison was your arrow coated with? That is the only thing I care about. Tell me and you can take your young bride-to-be and go."

He sent another bolt of energy her way, stronger than the last. She deflected it yet again. "So, I'll take that as a no then?" She sent a bolt back, pulsing violet. He rolled out of the way, sending one straight for her heart. She fell into a crouch and the energy struck the tree she had been standing in front of. It gave a loud hiss followed by a crack, but the trunk of the tree stood sturdy. She smirked. He was good. But she was better. She threw her arms out and the ground started to shake. Roots emerged from the soil and lunged for the boy but he jumped, leaping from limb to limb until he grabbed onto a branch and swung up. He sent an arrow sailing her way, but she deflected it with a flick of her wrist. This boy was getting on her nerves. She would have her answer, no matter what the cost. Emma's life depended on it. She disappeared in a swirl of violet smoke just as another arrow planted itself where she'd been. The boy looked around the ground, searching for any sign of her. She appeared behind him and tackled him, causing them to both fall off the branch. They grappled in the air until they slammed into the ground. The roots, at her command, wrapped around his wrists and ankles, securing him to the ground.

She got up. "What poison did you use?"

"I used no poison."

The violet electricity crackled across her fingers by way of threat. "Do not presume to lie to me boy!"

"I make my own arrows and I use no poison. That's the truth."

"The arrow that struck the Princess was laced with poison. I have seen for myself the toxic substance floating through her veins! She is dying boy!"

He was silent, then, "I was given that arrow specifically for this mission. I did not know."

"Who gave you the arrow?"

"I don't know his name, but he is all that is good. He calls himself the Exiled Wolf. I do his work so that our land may prosper. I eradicate evil."

Regina looked down on the hooded figure with pity. "You are a _pawn_ in a game you do not fully understand."

"I am the justice of the people!" He strained against his bonds.

"You are a boy! Nothing more!" She crouched down and pushed off his hood.

The defiant face of her own son stared up at her.

She took a step back. "Henry?"

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A/N:: Aww, snap! Bet you didn't see that coming. Or maybe you did...


	24. What Took You So Long

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: loved the episode tonight! gah, i love this show! anyways, here is an update since i go back to school in the morning and won't be able to post quite possibly until next weekend. glad no one seems angry that henry is the shooter because i have big plans for where this is going and i've just finished chapter 35 and started on 36. i'm thinking i'll take it to 40, which i believe will make this my longest fic to date, and i daresay one of my bests. enjoy and review.

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They came riding in just as the sun was setting.

James was in the courtyard to greet them. He eyed the two prisoners with cautious interest.

Regina dismounted and handed the black stallion off to a stablehand. She approached the king. "The boy was working under orders from another outlaw, still at large. He was given the arrow and claims he did not know it was poisoned."

James narrowed his eyes and stared at the youths. "What say you boy? Is that the way of it?"

Henry nodded.

King James looked to a guard behind him and motioned the man forward. "Take the boy to a cell and lock him up to await judgment."

The guard nodded and pulled Henry roughly off the horse. Regina watched as he was dragged into the castle. Her eyes flashed back to a heartbroken Peyton. She had once been that girl, watching castle guards carry off the one she loved. She felt for the girl.

"What of her?"

"She is his betrothed. It was necessary to procure her from their village, to draw him out. I didn't want to leave her in the woods to fend for herself and it would have been precious minutes wasted riding her back to the village, so I brought her too. She's done nothing wrong, nothing but loving the wrong person."

The King studied Peyton for a long moment and then called forth another guard. "Take the young lady to a chamber in the east tower. See that she has a handmaid to clean and feed her. Post two guards on her door at all times. She is not to be let out of her chambers without my leave, is that understood?"

"Yes, Sire." The guard helped Peyton down from the horse, not unkindly, and led her into the castle as well.

King James looked to her escort. "I thank you for your service. Paolo here will take your horses, a feast has been prepared for you in the barracks. I expect you back at your posts tomorrow morning."

The guards nodded their thanks and departed for the barracks.

Once they were alone, James seemed to age ten years. He looked haggard and tired.

"How is she?"

"She held out, but I was hoping you'd bring me better news." He looked very much the devastated father. "I've just found her and now I'm to lose her again? What happy ending is this?"

"There is one more thing I haven't tried. When Emma was hit with the arrow the last thing she said was 'all magic comes at a cost'. Maybe that was her way of pointing us towards the culprit."

"What do you mean?"

Regina frowned. "There's only one man… one _creature_ who's ever boasted to me of the price we all must pay for magic rendered."

James shook his head. "But that's impossible. Magic still holds him in his cell."

Regina frowned. "Yes, but it's our last hope. If he's not the one behind this, he still may make a deal in exchange for an antidote for Emma."

James nodded. "Go to him. This poison will not wait long."

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She didn't even bother letting the turnkey give his usual speech. Don't let him see your face, don't let him know your name, don't get too close to the cell. She'd broken these rules many times over and she wasn't afraid to break them now.

"Rumpelstiltskin." She came around the corner of the cave, wasting no time on pleasantries.

"Aw, it's you dearie. I was wondering when you'd pay me a visit."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because you tried to have me killed? Using my own son… that was a nice touch."

"I thought so."

"What poison was it?"

"Tell me… how nice is it to have a clean slate? To have no one remember who or what you are?" He jumped up and clung to his bars.

Regina narrowed her eyes. "That was _your_ doing?"

He inclined his head. "As per the Swan's request."

Regina's chest tightened. The energy, right before Emma fell unconscious. It was magic. That's what Emma meant. But… "She's traded you her life?"

Rumpelstiltskin frowned, showing displeasure, a very unusual occurance. "No, an unfortunate mistake."

"But…" Then it dawned on her. "Baelfire. That's why she wanted to marry him so quickly. She agreed to marry him in exchange for everyone forgetting my past misdeeds."

"Her prison for your freedom." He seemed delighted, the displeasure instantly washed out by a huge grin.

She shook her head and moved a step closer. "When the arrow hit her, it enacted the magic early. She wasn't supposed to die." She frowned to herself. "But why would Emma agree to something like that?" Then it hit her. "The people must have been calling for my head. The treaty must have been her idea as well, a way to stall them while she figured out what to do. It's the only way she would have come to you. She knew the only way to save me was to have everyone forget."

"Very good dearie; you figured out the puzzle."

"What poison is it?"

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. "I am not the one you seek. I did not send the arrow or the order."

"But you know who did." She had very little doubt of that. It was his job to know everything, especially when his interests were involved.

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes flashed with amusement. He nodded. "But I am forbidden from uttering the name aloud."

She frowned. How would she save Emma? She knew of only one way left to her. It was crazy, but she had to. For Emma.

"Tell me how to save her. I will pay whatever price is required."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes seemed to glow with elation. This whole conversation, as almost all his conversations, was about backing her into a corner, with no way out but to make a deal. She was right where he wanted her. He pressed through the bars as far as he could. "If fate had dealt you a different hand, tell me, would you have chosen light or still dark? There is only one way to save the swan, but first you must travel back to the place where the tides turned. Your choices there will either save or condemn the Princess."

"How will I know Emma will be safe until I return?"

"Seek out the dwarves which did help Snow White. Their bed of glass and ice will hold off the poison until your return, as it is magically enchanted to do just that, but do not waste time. It is precious and hers draws to a close."

"And your fee?"

He smirked. "Freedom."

She stared at him for a moment. "Very well. When this is over, if Emma lives, you shall have your freedom."


	25. Afterlife

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: sorry it took so long to update. college is not easy, especially when you come back from a long break. science will be the death of me. so a couple things to know before reading this chapter and the five or so to follow. terra dos imortais is inspired by the elysian fields from the show xena: warrior princess. if you've never seen that show, in short, it's a place where the souls of GOOD dead people go, though i've modified it some for the purpose of this story. also, time works differently there. a day in the enchanted forest is a month there. i may be able to post tomorrow night since i am waiting until after the new episode of OUAT before driving the two hours back to san francisco. if not, i'll post on monday. no school cause of president's day. yay!

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"You what?"

Regina didn't think James's face could get more red, but he proved her wrong. In fact, it was now bordering on purple.

"He cannot be allowed to go free!"

"At the cost of Emma's _life_?" She had no time for his objections. She'd do anything to save Emma, with or without his help. Her window of opportunity was small. Emma was fading, even with the assistance of the ice and crystal coffin.

His jaw worked and she knew he was pissed. Finally he bore into her. "He gets nothing if she dies?"

Regina nodded, knowing she had won. "If the Princess and I both should perish, he will rot in his prison for the rest of his days. A formal contract was drawn up magically and signed."

King James finally nodded. "How is it you'll save her?"

Regina regarded him for a long moment. "I must die."

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She had heard of it several times, but only in tales told at bedtime. The Terra dos Imortais. The Land of the Immortals. Her father had told her about it as a child. It ran parallel to their own world, an exact copy in every way but one. Only the dead or the undecided could go there. It was beautiful, meant to tempt, to entice you to stay forever. It was meant to draw people still clinging to their mortality to choose never to return to the land of the living. And that's what the poison had done. It had transported Emma's soul there. But even beauty and tranquility could not convince a normal person to give up their mortality, so Terra dos Imortais was also infamous for it's ability to make you forget the living world the second you crossed into it. As long as your soul remained undecided of whether it wanted to live or die, it would remember nothing of the world outside. She'd always thought it to be some fable, like Santa Claus, conjured up by adults to intrigue the imaginations of little children, but now she knew it was real. And she had to go there, find Emma, and bring her back before the poison finished its job.

_"A word of caution to this tale… a part of your own soul already exists there. There cannot be two of you. When you cross over, you will merge with the part of your soul that's already there, a part that will not remember this life, nor your love for the swan. Evil cannot linger there for long dearie. This is not the natural order of things. Time is of the essence, not just for the fair Princess, but for you as well."_

Rumpelstiltskin's words reverberated through her mind like a haunting melody. She wasn't afraid to die; she'd gladly give her life for Emma's, but Emma's soul would not return without her aid. So if she died, Emma would to. Their destinies were now inexorably intertwined; where one didn't exist so too wouldn't the other. Fate had dealt her a challenging hand in her life, but she finally saw the magnificence of it. It lies within our soul whether to be the victim of a dangerous hand or to play the game. And Regina Mills had never been one for sitting on the sidelines.

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"Are you sure this will work?" Snow followed her down the corridor.

"No."

"So, you're doing it why?"

Regina regarded Snow sadly. "It's the only way to save her."

"Can you really trust Rumpelstiltskin? He'd say anything to get free. You could be walking into a trap!"

Regina pushed open the door to Emma's chamber. The crystal ice coffin was the most prominent sight in the room. "It's true; I could be. But Emma's life is worth the risk, any risk. If Rumpelstiltskin's freedom is the price that must be paid to buy her life, I would pay it ten million times over." Regina walked to the coffin and placed her hands on the lid, staring down at the occupant inside with a look of pure love. "I keep losing you. I refuse to do it again. You always say people like us don't get happy endings… but we do. We make our own. We will be happy Emma, _together_. I'm going to rewrite the ending of our fairytale. You'll see."

"If you believe this will work, then I trust you." Snow White stepped up beside her.

Regina glanced at her. "Why? You don't even know me."

Snow White looked at her and then glanced down at the blonde under the ice. "The morning of the party, Emma told me that Baelfire wasn't her true love. She confessed she had made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin and was marrying him to save the life of her real true love. She was sacrificing her happiness so that her true love might live, just as I once did to save James." Snow reached out and put her hand on Regina's on the coffin. "It was _you_ she was protecting. I don't remember you and maybe that's the point. I don't know what you did or who you were, but I know Emma loved you enough to spend her life trapped in a loveless marriage… enough to give up her happy ending to give you a second chance. My daughter is pure of heart. And if she loved you that much, then I believe you aren't whatever it is you did. Your heart is good too. She wouldn't love you so desperately otherwise. So, when you bring her back to me, and I do believe you will because true love always prevails, I will absolve you of your past crimes. Baelfire be damned."

Regina stared at her with wide eyes.

"If Emma loves you, then I will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets a shot, with _you_."

Regina threw her arms around Snow White, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you. I know you don't remember who I was; if you did you wouldn't be saying any of this. But I was wrong about you. Thank you." She pulled away. "If there's anything…" She trailed off, the rest of the offer unspoken.

Snow smiled sadly at her, her eyes sliding to Emma. "Go get our girl."

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"This poison is not the same as Emma's. It will shut down my system to the bare minimum it takes to keep me alive. I will need the antidote within twenty four hours if I'm to come out of it." She glared at James. "Do **not** bring me out of it until Emma wakes. Do you hear me?"

He looked at her as if she were crazy. "There's no reason for both of you to die. This is madness!"

She stepped up to him. "If Emma's lost, so am I. Do I have your word?"

"You have mine." Snow stepped through the doorway.

Regina looked at her. "If I can't save her…"

"You _will_." Snow looked at her with complete faith.

"But if I can't… I want to be buried with her."

Snow nodded.

Regina turned the tiny vial of poison over in her hands. "If she doesn't wake within a day, you know I failed."

James's jaw worked and then he looked at her with an emotion she'd never seen in his eyes before, at least not for her, and that was respect. "You will succeed. Go to Terra dos Imortais. Find Emma and bring her back."

Regina nodded. She laid down on the bed in her parlor-turned-bed-chamber. With one last look to Emma's parents she brought the vial to her lips and tilted her head back, downing the poison all in one swallow. It seeped into her system and slowly, her eyes drifted closed as her heart started to slow down and her body sank into hibernation. _Hold tight, darling, I'm coming for you_.


	26. What's My Name

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so here's the next update, as i promised. keep in mind that in this fairytale purgatory of sorts, regina will not remember her mission. that's going to be the challenge she faces. oh, and just as in the elysian fields, the people there don't realize their dead. they have memories of growing up until the age they died, but they don't remember the circumstances that caused their death or that they are dead. that's all. enjoy and review. next update probably not until saturday, maybe thursday after school lets out if i get home fast enough.

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Regina slipped into her maroon dress, the one that made her eyes really pop, and turned her back so that her handmaid, Cait, could lace up the back.

"Are you seeing Master Sutter again today mi'lady?" Cait's tone was playful. Of course Regina would be seeing Sutter; she saw him every day.

Regina smiled, playing their usual game. "I am taking a walk down by the smithy. If I happen to stumble across him…" She shrugged, her smile only getting wider.

Her handmaid grinned as she pulled the laces tight. "He _is_ handsome."

"That he is." Her grin died away as she felt a pressure all over her body. It wasn't painful, but it just felt as if something were pressing _into_ her. She braced a hand against the wall to keep from collapsing.

"Mi'lady? Are you well?" Her handmaid abandoned the laces to come around before her and help her stay upright. She helped Regina over to her bed and eased her into a sitting position.

"I feel… unusual." Regina closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. For a moment, a brief moment, she almost felt a conciousness brushing across her own.

"Maybe I did your laces too tight, mi'lady?"

Just as quickly as the pressure had appeared, it dissipated. "No, Cait, you always do a fine job. It has passed." She shook the cloudiness out of her head and stood once more, turning so Cait could finish lacing up her dress.

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"Lady Regina. So nice to see you out on this fine day." He fell into step beside her as she walked down the road towards the village smithy.

"Master Sutter." She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the tall, handsome man by her side. His hair was black as midnight, his eyes a deep blue. He'd shaved the stubble off his chin this morning. She liked the clean shaven look on him. His pale complexion made any sort of facial hair look instantly out of place.

"May I accompany you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know where I'm going."

He smiled. "You're going into town."

Suddenly tired of being predictable, though she didn't understand why predictability all of a sudden bothered her after twenty years, she shook her head. "Actually, I'm not."

"Where else would you be going?" He chuckled lightly at the ridiculous notion.

"The woods," Regina replied indignantly, holding her chin just a little higher.

"Is that so? And what business could you possibly have in the woods?"

"That, is none of your business." They had reached the fork in the road. To the left it curved away into the thickness of the woods, to the right it continued on towards town. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse me Master Sutter." She set off to the left.

"I shall wait patiently for your return, mi'lady." Sutter bowed deeply and flashed his most charming smile.

Regina gave a non-committed shrug. "I do not know how long I shall be."

"I'd wait forever for you, Lady Regina."

"I don't think I shall be gone quite _that_ long." She turned her back to him and walked down the road. The second she rounded the bend in the path and was out of sight, a huge smile graced her face. Master Sutter had been after her since they were children. It had only been in the last six months that she'd had any interest in fully returning his affections. Everyday he walked with her into town. She had no idea why she'd decided to go into the woods today. Sometimes, when she was a little girl, she would sneak out to the apple tree near Lumia Caverns. Her father had even given her an apple tree, planted in their courtyard, because she loved the one in the woods so much. She hadn't been out there in over two years. But the urge to return to childhood nostalgia pulled her further into the dense trees.

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It took nearly an hour to find the clearing. Several times she had considered turning around, but it wouldn't do to return to Sutter empty handed. Just when she was about to give up, thinking she'd completely forgotten her way, she stumbled out of the trees and into the small clearing. A perfect circle in the middle of thick trees, twenty four feet in diameter. At the north end was a huge apple tree, its trunk twisting up towards the sky. She leaned down and picked an apple that had fallen to the ground.

_Snap_.

She froze, her spine going rigid. Someone was behind her. Her ears opened to every small noise. She could hear the footsteps coming towards her. The intruder was up in the tree on the southern side of the clearing, about ten feet up. She gripped the apple and prayed her aim was true; she'd only get one shot. She whirled around and launched the apple at the crouched figure on the branch. It found its mark, smacking into the figure on the branch and with a scream, it fell. A decidedly _feminine_ scream. Regina rushed over to the still figure on the ground. The green hood had fallen back from the face and Regina's breath caught. She was beautiful, though older than Regina herself. Her hair was the color of sunshine and fell in waves past her shoulders. Her eyes were a light green. She was nature's child. She stared up at Regina without fear and then started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Regina put her hands on her hips.

The woman smiled. "You caught me. You! And with an apple too." She sat up.

Regina frowned. "What do you mean _me_?"

The young woman rolled her eyes. "You _exude_ nobility. Nobles are known for their arrogance, not their marksmanship. What are you, a princess?"

Regina narrowed her eyes. "My name is Lady Regina."

The blonde stood, dusted the dirt off her tight leather trousers and gave a deep bow. "My apologies. Mi'lady."

"And who, may I ask, are _you_?"

"That is none of your business." The blonde smirked at her.

"What's your name?" Regina was not accustomed to being denied anything she requested, the product of an overdoting father.

"Why?" The blonde eyed her suspiciously.

Regina rolled her eyes. "What am I supposed to call you if I don't know your name?"

"I can't tell you."

"What are you running from?" Now Regina was the suspicious one.

The blonde stared at her intensely. "Nothing. I can't tell you because I don't have one."

Regina laughed. "Everyone has a name."

"Alas, I do not. I have been called many things by many people, but never have I had a true name." The blonde looked at her sadly. "Believe me, if I knew mine, I'd tell. I find that people take the little things, like names, for granted."

Regina studied her for several moments. "Well, then, I'll just have to name you myself."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You're going to name me?" What was she? This noble's pet?

Regina nodded with a certainty that kept the woman from questioning her. "Hmmm, let's see…" She cycled through every name she could think of in her head and they all sounded terribly wrong. Just when she was about to give up and go with Beth by default, some voice in the back of her mind uttered one final suggestion. It was perfect. "Emma."

"Emma?" The blonde rolled the name around in her mouth for a while before nodding. "I guess it'll do."

Regina smiled, proud of herself. "Why are you out here?"

Emma shrugged and smirked. "I could ask you the same."

"I used to come here when I was a child." Regina looked towards the apple tree fondly.

"I live here."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You _live_ here?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, not right here, obviously, but nearby."

Regina smiled. Emma was not someone either Sutter or her father would ever approve of her spending time with. There was a small hint of danger that clung to the blonde. And her smile was the most beautiful thing Regina had ever seen.

Emma seemed to pick up on Regina's feelings. She held out a hand. "Come. I'll show you."

Regina stared at her hand.

Emma grinned. "Trust me."

Finally, Regina threw caution to the wind and placed her hand in Emma's.


	27. Possession

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: it was going to be posted on thursday, but i had to drive home for the weekend for a couple business appointments. but i posted as soon as i was able to. there will be another post tomorrow before i drive back for school, maybe once i get back into the city. i am working steadfastly on another update for _actions have consequences, _for those of you who read that too, as well as a third story that will make its debut hopefully sometime next week if school and life aren't too crazy. thanks to all reviewers and readers, both old and those of you who've just recently found this story. your continued support is keeping me going.

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"Will you tell me what's so special about these flowers?" Regina looked at the bouquet of flowers she was picking from the side of their clearing, directly across from the apple tree.

"Besides the fact that they grow where we met?" Emma was gathering her own bouquet about twelve feet away. "They are thought to have powers that manipulate time when you use them in spells. Oh, and they are quite a potent aphrodisiac as well." Emma grinned. They'd been playing around the topic, flirting shamelessly since they'd met, though neither had even made the barest hint of a move.

Regina glanced over at Emma. She was in her usual leather trousers and green hooded roughspun tunic. Around her neck was a small bottle on a chain. Regina had asked her about it, but all she'd say was that she'd found it hidden in a cave and she thought it contained great magic. She was gorgeous, caught in a halo of light that filtered through a break in the trees. Regina smiled. "You're in a fairy ring."

Emma looked at the perfect circle of light around her. "It would seem that I am."

"Try a spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"Anything."

Emma stared at Regina for several long moments. Finally she closed her eyes.

Regina watched her intently as she saw perfect tranquility set upon Emma's features. For a moment she expected something to happen. But then, nothing.

Emma opened her eyes and they grew wide.

"I did it." Emma pointed behind her. "Regina, look."

Regina turned and gasped. There, all in the clearing around their tree, were the most beautiful deep purple flowers, as if they'd suddenly grown from nowhere. She smiled, turning back to the blonde. "You're magic Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes and gestured to the circle. "Or maybe I'm magic by association." She held out a hand. "Come, do magic with me."

Regina hesitated only a second to set down the flowers she'd collected before taking her hand and letting Emma pull her into the light.

"Do you feel it?" Emma closed her eyes once more.

"Feel what?" Regina looked around. She didn't feel anything.

Emma leaned close until her lips pressed against Regina's ear. "The magic."

Regina shivered at the contact. But she closed her eyes. Then, as she focused on Emma's hands holding hers, her very presence, she felt it. It was a warmth that seeped into her, filling up her soul, finding every crack and dark corner and eliminating it. It caressed her, embraced her. She laughed out loud at how amazing it felt. "Emma, I feel it."

"Open your eyes Regina."

Regina's eyes popped open. All around them, stretching out in every direction were the flowers, and hanging from the lowest branch of their tree, was the reddest apple she'd ever seen.

Emma smiled as she looked around. "We did this." She leaned over and plucked the crimson apple from its branch, holding it out to Regina. "This apple is special. It was made with magic, and love. It can grant any wish." She pressed it into Regina's hands with a smile.

Regina laughed and pulled Emma into an embrace.

Emma pulled away first. "Regina, you make me feel…"

She was interrupted by the bell from the west.

Regina looked off towards the sound. "I have to go."

Emma smiled sadly. "I know."

Regina gave her an apologetic smile and then disappeared off into the trees, taking the apple with her. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Until then." She grabbed the branch of the nearest tree and hauled herself up. It had been like this for the past ten days. Regina would come to the clearing every morning after having breakfast with her father. She'd spend the afternoon with Emma until the bells that hailed the coming of sunset started to ring in the village. Then she'd run off, promising to return on the morrow. It hurt Emma inexplicably every time she watched the brunette run off into the trees. She wanted her to stay. The request was on her lips every single day and every single day Emma left the words unspoken. It was madness, what she was feeling. Regina was a noble, she had a suitor. It wouldn't do to know she had the affections of a homeless wood rat like Emma. But, still the blonde longed for what she'd never have outside of her dreams.

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She smoothed down the creases in her skirt as she emerged from the tree line on the path back to the fork. He was waiting, as he had been every day.

"Master Sutter, I am perfectly capable of seeing myself home." She walked right past him. His constant surveillance of her was getting annoying.

"Lady Regina."

She didn't slow down but kept back up her path towards the small castle where her father ruled. "I will see you tomorrow morning, I'm sure." She left him behind with not so much as a goodbye. She wasn't sure when her affections for him had become nothing more than friendship. It just seemed as if one day, every little thing he did was so charming, and then the next it was as if he was always around, never giving her any room to breathe. Deep down she knew it had everything to do with Emma. The blonde had invaded her every waking thought. But Emma and her were playing a game with each other. It wasn't like the blonde could possibly have any feelings towards her. She'd traveled, seen the land, knew things about magic and life... and Regina was just a priveleged little noble with no life experience beyond the woods around her father's castle. No, Emma couldn't possibly have any interest in her. She held up the apple they'd made and then clutched it to her heart. Maybe, one day, she'd wish for Emma's love.

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"Emma!" Regina came around the corner and peeked into the clearing. Normally Emma was waiting for her just off the path, out of sight of the fork. She hadn't been there that morning. The blonde wasn't in the clearing either. "Emma?"

An apple fell by, narrowly missing her face. She glanced up to see a blonde grinning down at her.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"You should really watch where you're going." Emma pretended to be serious. "You could get hurt."

"It seems to me that there is only one person here who has suffered an apple related injury."

Emma hopped down branch to branch until she landed squarely on the ground. She smiled at Regina. "I want to show you something. Will you come with me?" She held out a hand.

Regina placed her hand in Emma's without hesitation. "Of course." She didn't say it, but she'd follow Emma anywhere.

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"It's beautiful." Regina stared down into the hidden cove. A roaring waterfall fed into it.

"Sometimes, when I want a change of scenery from my place in Lumia Caverns, I come here. Behind the waterfall, there's a small grotto. It's my secret place; no one knows about it but me. And now, you."

Regina reached out and gave Emma a hard shove. The blonde toppled off the edge of the rock face and down ten feet to the water below. She surfaced with a few sputtering coughs.

Regina smiled down at her. "Why, Emma, you're all wet."

Emma grinned up at her. "Take off that dress and get down here."

"I knew it! You're just looking for an excuse to get me naked."

Emma grinned. "Maybe I am."

Regina raised an eyebrow, daring Emma to follow through.

But Emma sighed and backed away from the playful turn in conversation. "It'll get too heavy."

Regina pulled the dress over her head. She draped it over a nearby branch, leaving her with only her underdress to protect her modesty. She dived off the edge and sighed happily as she connected with the water.

When she came up, Emma was on her, pushing her playfully back down. They played there in the warm water for nearly an hour.

Finally Regina swam over towards the waterfall. She dove under the powerful tumble of water and reemerged on the other side in a small shallow wading pool. The small cave that emerged from the water had a cozy feel to it. A pile of blankets were a makeshift bed in the far corner. There was a chest, sealed near the bed, a firepit. It wasn't much, but she liked it there. She pulled herself up onto the stone, leaving her legs to dangle in the water. Emma surfaced near her.

Regina leaned back and let her mind drift back to the day before when they'd been in the fairy ring. She let the warmth wash over her, filling her as it had that day, before glancing back at Emma. "Are you mine Emma?"

Emma studied her curiously, then shrugged. "I've never belonged to anyone before." She climbed up onto the ground beside Regina.

"Belong to me." It wasn't a demand, but a vulnerable plea. Regina's face, and her heart, had never been so open and exposed.

Emma looked at the brunette thoughtfully. No one had ever wanted to claim her before in her entire life. She had been abandoned as a child, left to die, and she'd taught herself everything she knew. No one had ever… wanted her before. Part of her didn't like the idea of being a possession, but a bigger part of her wanted it so desperately. She reached up slowly and cupped Regina's cheek. "I'm yours."

Regina smiled. Her hands came up and unlaced the cords of Emma's vest. It fell open, revealing her bare chest underneath. She undid the laces of her own bodice, sliding her underdress off. Emma watched as more and more of Regina's skin became exposed to her eyes. Regina slid out of the dress and into the water. She came up below Emma, pulling the blonde's leggings off. Emma slid down into the water beside her. She stared at Regina with a vulnerable trust. The brunette pulled Emma through the water towards her.

"Have you done this before?" Regina caressed Emma's hips under the water.

Emma shook her head. "You don't find many opportunities when you live in the woods." She kissed Regina's shoulder. "Have you?"

Regina nodded. "My maid and I, once... Does that bother you?"

Emma shook her head again. She wrapped her legs around the brunette. "Teach me."

Regina spent the entire afternoon teaching Emma.

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Again he was waiting for her.

"That was a long walk."

She pushed past him. He grabbed her arm and turned her back. There was an anger on his face she'd never seen before. It scared her.

"I went for a swim and time got away from me." She pried her arm away.

"What's gotten into you lately?" He stared at her, his eyes filled with concern, hurt, and still anger.

She grinned and glanced towards the woods. "Life. Today, I feel **alive**."


	28. We Found Love

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so this is a day late but i had a last minute, very unexpected, business meeting last night that kept me from posting. but now i have a quick moment, because i stayed home sick from school, to pop up an update. thank you for the continued support. everyone's been so great. if any readers want to follow my insanity on twitter, just follow maureenicain. when i don't feel like being productive, i tweet about the misadventures of my life, which people tend to find quite entertaining. enjoy and review.

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Emma sat shyly next to the brunette, their legs dangling freely in the air from their tree branch bench. She smiled as Regina leaned in and kissed her cheek. Then the brunette went back to her work.

"What does it say?"

Regina smiled, grabbing Emma's hand and using the blonde's fingers to trace each individual letter of the carving. "That's my name and that's yours. Regina and Emma."

"And what's this word here? The one between them." She ran her fingers across the fives letters in between their two names.

"L-O-V-E-S. It says Regina loves Emma." Regina leaned in close. "I love you Emma."

Emma smiled. She'd never been loved before. The feeling was quite magical. She closed the short distance between their mouths, kissing the brunette deeply. "Do you really love me Regina?" There was still that small part of Emma's mind that told her love didn't happen in two weeks. Regina had told her about Sutter. The brunette couldn't possibly love them both, right?

Regina nodded. "I do. And if we weren't currently sitting seven feet off the ground, I'd show you just how much." She kissed Emma once more.

Emma smiled. "Then run away with me." She swung down to the base of the apple tree.

"What?" Regina jumped down next to her.

Emma frowned, turning away. "I don't know why but… I want to be with you _all the time_. It's all I can think about. We could run away and be happy together. I just have this… _feeling_, that we can't have that _here_."

"Where else is there to go?" Regina tilted her head at the blonde.

"Anywhere but here." Emma turned and looked at her, a desperation in her eyes. "Ever since I've met you I feel as if there's something I'm missing, something I'm supposed to be remembering, like some far off memory that I can't seem to recall. I think being here is somehow... it sounds crazy... but I think it's keeping me from remembering. Just, please, run away with me?"

Slowly Regina nodded. "Okay."

Emma stared at her in disbelief. "Really?"

Regina nodded, smiling, her conviction growing at the sight of Emma's joy. "I've felt more alive these past two weeks than I can ever remember feeling. That's because of you." She stepped up to the blonde. "I don't know much, but I know I want to be with you." She kissed Emma softly.

The bells sounded, hailing the coming of dusk.

Regina turned towards the sound. "I'll meet you here, tomorrow, just before dawn."

Emma nodded. "I'll be waiting."

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He wasn't there at the fork in the road today. She stopped just short and looked around. How unusual. She always told him it wasn't necessary, but she'd never actually expected him to not show up. Finally she shrugged it off. What did it matter? She would be gone by sunrise tomorrow. She started up the pathway towards home.

He was waiting for her in the courtyard, along with her father. She stopped short. "Master Sutter." She raised an eyebrow at him, then turned to her father. "Daddy?"

Her father cleared his throat. "Master Sutter asked for your hand in marriage today and I have accepted his offer on your behalf. You are nearing twenty and it is past time you were married."

Regina stared between them open mouthed. "Do I have no choice in who I'm to spend the rest of my days with?"

Her father sighed. "Come now my dear, your mother and I had an arranged marriage and look at how happy we were."

Regina frowned. "It is not what I want father!"

Her father regarded her suspiciously. All she'd ever talked about as a young girl had been Sutter. He'd always known that one day the boy would come asking his permission. He'd never expected Regina to _object_.

"May I speak with Regina alone for a moment, my lord?" Sutter smiled at him.

Lord Henry nodded. "Of course dear boy." He gave his daughter one last long look and then wandered off into the castle.

"What is the meaning of this Regina?"

Regina's anger flared. "Do not presume to speak to me that way, Master Sutter! I remind you that I am of noble birth and you are not." She softened. "I'm flattered Sutter but shouldn't you have asked me first if this is something I want?"

Sutter's jaw worked. "You will marry me Regina. In a fortnight you will be my wife."

"A fortnight?" That was ridiculous. Why so soon? It didn't matter. She'd say no. "And if I refuse?" She stared at him darkly.

He circled her. "You won't." He stopped close to her ear. "I know all about your little whore. You will marry me, or your precious _Emma_ will find herself on the unfortunate end of a blade."

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Emma paced in front of the apple tree. The sun would rise in an hour, the sky was already lighter. She had decided that they would head towards the sea. Maybe Emma would build them a house by the shore. She could hunt and fish for them. It wouldn't be much but she'd do whatever she could to provide for Regina. She had realized she wanted this… more than anything.

She turned when she heard a rustle in the trees. A smile graced her face when she saw Regina emerge from the underbrush. "You came." She raced forward and crashed her lips against Regina's. Regina pulled away and Emma saw there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Regina fell against Emma's shoulder and Emma could feel hot tears seeping through the fabric of her tunic. "I'm getting married."

Emma frowned. "What?"

Regina pulled back and gazed at Emma, the apology evident on her face. "Sutter went behind my back to my father. I have no choice."

Emma shook her head. "There is always a choice Regina! Run away with me. It doesn't matter what promises your father has made. This is _your_ life. Come with me. Live it!"

For a moment she actually believed Regina would agree, but finally the brunette shook her head. "He knows about us, Emma. If I refuse to marry Sutter, he's already threatened to send people after us."

"I know this forest better than anyone. It's my home. Let them come."

Regina shook her head. "I can't risk it, Emma. A life on the run is no life at all. I won't put you in harms way."

"Don't do this Regina! Come away with me." She threw her arms around the brunette's neck. "I love you. I know you love me. Take a chance. We'll be fine."

Regina's lips met hers and they stayed like that for several minutes, kissing underneath the shade of their apple tree.

Finally Regina pulled away. "I love you Emma. My Emma. That's who you'll always be." She cupped Emma's cheek. "Be well, my Emma, and remember me." With that, Regina turned and disappeared back into the trees.


	29. Before It's Too Late

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

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Cait pulled the final strand of Regina's long hair up and pinned it back. She grabbed the veil off the hook it was hanging from and brought it over. "You make a beautiful bride, mi'lady." She pinned the veil into Regina's dark hair, taking care to mind the sweeping up do she had just spent the last hour constructing.

Regina nodded sadly. She loved the dress. It had been her mother's, though they'd had it altered to fit her leaner frame. But it was the best her father could produce on such short notice. Sutter was going to work for the King and he wanted Regina to be his bride before he was set to depart. Then he could take her away from the woods where she grew up. It was all to get her away from Emma, she knew, but maybe it was for the best. Emma would be safe.

It had been only two weeks since she'd left Emma in their clearing, looking for all the world like Regina had just shattered her heart. She didn't understand the connection they had. It was as if everytime she looked upon the blonde's face, her mind seemed to say "I've been looking for you". It was rather unsettling really. Today marked a month to the day since she'd met the older woman in the woods. Everything about that day had been peculiar. First, the pressure she'd felt as Cait had helped her dress. Then, a sudden desire to go into the woods to an apple tree she hadn't cared about for several years. And Emma had been there at that exact moment? And her name... where had it come from? Once she had uttered it aloud, she knew it was right. It belonged to the older woman; she was sure of it.

Her eyes caught the flash of red out of the corner of her eyes. She glanced over at the apple that sat, glaring at her accusingly, from its perch on her bedside table. She had one wish. She could use it. She could make Sutter forget the wedding.

She glanced back to the mirror in front of her and stared at her reflection. Now that it was altered, the white dress looked as if it had been made for her. She looked like a princess, her bodice fit tight and the skirt puffed out as they generally styled themselves. Normally she would love this moment, would want to imprint it forever in her mind, but today it was overshadowed by the fact that she didn't want to marry this man. She wanted Emma.

"Master Sutter has always looked out for your best interests. Just today I overheard him telling Master Mookin that after your carriage leaves tomorrow, to send the guards into the forest after some foe who means you harm. It's quite romantic. Their extra service sounded rather expensive."

Regina felt her heart stop in her chest. No, he'd promised! If she married him, he'd leave Emma alone. He'd promised! She had to warn Emma. She turned to Cait. The servant girl had been given to her at a young age. They'd grown together. She was a couple inches shorter than Regina and maybe five pounds heavier but in a bind, she could easily pass. Regina smiled. It would give her just enough time to reach Emma.

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The wedding was today. She'd snuck into the village several times over the past fortnight, gleaning whatever information she could from the locals at the pub. She had just been a curious passerby in those times, inquiring with passing interest about the local nobility. After hearing the tale of Sutter and Regina, the couple that all the younger villagers should one day hope to be and all the older villagers wished they were, she made up her mind. She would move on. She had lingered in the space of wood for far too long anyway. She was a nomad by nature. It wouldn't do to stay.

She'd lose Regina today.

That thought devastated her more than it should. Until they had met a month ago, she'd been free. She lived where she wanted, did whatever she wanted. She had liked her life that way. And then Regina had happened. Regina had made her think, just for a moment, that maybe people were different than she'd always thought. Maybe they don't leave at the littlest sign of opposition. Maybe they actually do face adversity head on and tell all the nay-sayers to suck it. But Regina had been just another one. She'd done exactly what Emma had expected she'd do. So why was she so disappointed?

Her hand went to the small vial that hung from around her neck. She had it for as long as she could remember. It had been given to her by someone, but she couldn't remember who. Someone important, for something important. She pulled it off and stared at it in her hands. Suddenly, she remembered its purpose, as if she'd known all along.

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He watched with a satisfied smile as the woman of his dreams strolled up the aisle, the veil hiding her face from view. She looked beautiful in her mother's dress as he'd always imagined she would. She walked on her father's arm, just as he'd always imagined. And tonight, she'd be his, he'd be her first. That, more than anything, gave him pleasure.

Her father stopped her at the head of the aisle. He lifted the veil to give her the customary kiss and a gasp went through the crowd. For the face under the veil did not belong to Lady Regina, but to her maid servant Cait.

"Where is she?" He took a threatening step towards the girl and she cowered behind Lord Henry. But he didn't need her answer to know. She had gone for her little _whore_.

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Regina was halfway to the clearing when she heard the bells. So they'd found Cait. No matter. All she had to do was reach the clearing. She just had to get to Emma. She ran into their clearing and looked around. "Emma!" But the blonde was nowhere to be found. She ran north, branches pulling at her dress. She reached the grotto with multiple scrapes from the branches she'd ran through. "Emma!"

The blonde peeked out from behind the waterfall. "Regina?"

Regina held out a hand to her. "Hurry. We don't have much time!"

Emma hopped up the rock face quick as a cat until her hand fell into Regina's. It was then that she heard the bells. "You ran away?"

Regina nodded. "Come. We need to get back to the apple tree."

"Why the apple tree?"

Regina started to pull her back into the woods. "It's the most magical place I know of."

It was there when they returned, as she knew it would be at this time of day. The fairy ring. She stepped into it and the magic crackled within her. She smiled. Maybe this would work.

"Tell me what's going on Regina."

Regina shook her head. "We don't have time. He's going to send them after you no matter what I do." She looked at Emma. "Trust me."

Emma nodded. "Okay."

Regina could hear hoof beats in the distance; they'd be there soon.

Emma closed her eyes and took Regina's hands. Regina let her eyes fall closed and the magic surround them. After a few moments, she felt the warmth subside. She opened her eyes and pulled the apple out of the pocket sewn into her cape, it was glowing red, seeming to pulse with the magic.

Emma looked at her with her head tilted. "Regina, what's going on?" She stared at the apple.

Regina left the circle and held it out to Emma. "You need to make a wish to be anywhere else but here."

Emma frowned. "I won't go anywhere without you."

"Please, Emma." The hoof beats were loud and close. "Trust me. I love you."

"Promise me, no matter where I go, you'll come for me." Emma looked at Regina. "I won't go until you promise."

Regina pulled the blonde to her and kissed her deeply. "No matter what world, what lifetime, I will always find you."

Emma nodded, closed her eyes, and bit into the apple.

Regina's heart did a flip as an apple with a huge bite out of it toppled through the air, the person that had been clutching it gone. She grabbed it before it hit the ground. It had worked!

She raised the apple to her own lips, but it was knocked forcefully out of her hands. She gasped and turned. Sutter was seated beside her on horseback. "Where did she go?" His sneer was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen.

"Somewhere you'll never find her." Regina felt the pressure fill her body once more, just as it had on the day she met Emma and it slipped from her body, leaving her.

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Regina sat up, gasping for air. She looked up at the people surrounding her. James was closest, holding a vial, the one that had contained her antidote. "She's back?" Regina smiled. She'd done it. She knew the innocent version of herself, the one that had disappeared when the Evil Queen came to be, would love Emma too. She had put so much trust into that, and she felt relief that it had paid off. "I need to see her."

Snow shook her head and put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Emma didn't come back." Tears formed at the edges of Snow's eyes. "I'm sorry Regina. You were too late. She's gone."

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A/N:: i know everyone is going to be very incensed at the conclusion of this chapter and unfortunately an update will be several days away. i am leaving for los angeles to go meet lana and the rest of the cast at paleyfest. i won't have time to post until next wednesday/thursday. i cannot promise that emma isn't gone, but i can promise that this story is still far from over. there's still the question of what will happen with henry, rumplestiltskin, bae, and the exiled wolf. more to come.


	30. He Gets That From Me

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: this fic is far from over, so fret not loyal readers, there is a method to my madness. that being said, i'm posting this early because i had the most amazing time at paleyfest yesterday, most definitely in the top five days of my life. so now, i really don't feel like writing my british lit essay on beowulf. i'd rather post this. enjoy, review if you feel so compelled, and have a great day.

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They buried the Princess on a hill overlooking the sea behind their castle.

She had been sealed in her casket and placed in the ground, dirt piled over the coffin before Regina even awoke. Snow had wanted to spare her the heartbreak, but she knew Emma was dead. She felt the emptiness where her soul should be. Emma's light had truly been extinguished. They would have a formal ceremony in two nights time, a gathering of mourners to send Emma's spirit off into the void.

Regina looked from her window in the tower and stared down at the small grave. She had fought with everything she had. She had tried. And still it hadn't been enough. Maybe the cost of all she'd done was destined to be her happy ending. But why _Emma's_ life? Why couldn't it have been hers? She had nothing left now. Emma was gone. Even if she went home, her guards would not know her. The thought of building her empire from the ground up once again only exhausted her. The only thing left was to find the leader of the Green Cloaks and take him out. The Exiled Wolf had killed Emma. She would find him, kill him, and then maybe, she might go build a cottage by the sea, where she could live out her days as two young lovers once dreamed they would.

But first, she would give Emma one last reminder of her, something to watch over her always.

She exited her chamber and made the slow journey down out of the tower where she'd exiled herself to mourn and out towards the grave by the sea.

As she stepped out into the breeze, she felt tears sting her eyes. She walked with solemn purpose towards the grave and once there, fell upon it.

"Emma, my love, my happy ending." The energy crackled in her fingers and she placed her hand on the soil to the right of the grave. She felt it growing, slowly making its way up through the ground. She pulled her hand away just as it broke the surface and snaked upward, growing and growing until it reached over ten feet. She stared up at the apple tree. Now a part of her would always look after Emma.

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"I need to speak with the boy!"

James shook his head. "No, Lady Regina. I'm sorry. He is to remain in confinement until such time as he receives judgment. He is magical and we have no idea what he's capable of. I won't risk your safety."

"I know what he's capable of! I've faced him in battle. I am more powerful than he is. I can handle myself."

James frowned. "Fine. But whatever you do, you mustn't provoke him. I don't want to bury someone else."

She stared at James, taken aback. He cared for her, that was what Emma's sacrifice had bought. Freedom from her sins and here she was, about to make the same mistakes again. After they'd killed Sutter, the boy she'd grown with and loved, it had started as that. A simple wish to the Dark One for the power to enact her vengeance. But she hadn't stopped there, oh no. That hatred born in her a need for power and for suffering. Emma had given her life, to stop that side of her… to give her the clean slate she'd so desperately been seeking when she'd enacted the curse.

"I just need to speak with him. He's important, to you and to me."

James nodded to the guard protecting the door to the cell and the man removed a key from his belt and unlocked the thick steel, pulling it open with effort.

"Just holler when you're finished, mi'lady."

She gave the guard a small smile and a nod. "Thank you."

She stepped into a small cell. The door slammed shut behind her and she felt a small pang of fear at being trapped. But she extinguished it after a moment and looked around the room. It was actually quite nice as far as cells go. There was fresh straw for a bed in a far corner, a plate of good food near it untouched. However there was the foul smell of the chamber pot, but that couldn't really be helped. Still, no crazy torture devices and the like, as one would find in the dungeons of her castle. It was clean.

The lone occupant of the cell looked up at her in contempt. They'd kept his hands shackled in front of him for the guards protection, but he didn't seem overly uncomfortable. "Are you here to kill me?"

Regina stared down at a face that had once belonged to an innocent boy who'd wanted nothing more than to break the curse. Now, all she saw was hatred. "Why would I kill you?"

"Because I shot the Princess. I've heard the guards talking. They say she's succumbed to the poison."

Regina felt the emptiness seeping in and she fought against it. She couldn't ever allow herself to give in to it again, or else it would consume her forevermore. "Yes, she did. But I should think that would hurt you just as much as it hurts me."

He leered at her. "Why would I care?"

Regina smiled at him, sadly. He had picked up her defensive habits. Pretend you don't care and maybe you might convince them, despite the fact that you do. So he had got something from her after all. "Well, first and foremost because you're _good_ Henry. You're a Green Cloak. They only kill those who threaten the lives of innocents. Though, most Green Cloaks don't know magic; I would like to know how you stumbled upon that little gift."

"If you know I'm a Green Cloak, then you know there will be others after me. No matter if I'm executed for my crime, another of us will get the order in my place. We continue to hunt until we get our mark."

Regina nodded. "My life was forfeit the moment that arrow hit her. I will go… though not at the end of some bow, but on my own terms."

The boy eyed her warily. "You loved her."

Regina nodded. "She was everything to me."

"I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much, coming from the man who took her life, but I am. Our goal is to end suffering, not to cause it." He seemed to regard her with something less than contempt for the first time since they'd duelled in the forest.

"There's no need to apologize Henry. Our end, mine _and hers_, was predicted long ago."

"How do you know that name?" He looked at her with confusion.

"Is it not yours?"

"It is… but… I was found outside my village at age twelve, with no memory except that name." He stood, staring at her intensely. "Do you know me?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. As did the Princess. And soon, so will everyone. You are a prince, Henry, named after the most loyal and generous man I've ever known. I hope you will one day rule as he lived."

"Rule? Prince? But how is that possible?" Henry stared at her with the same incredulity he possessed as a kid.

"Princess Emma was your mother, perhaps the only person in this world who cared for you more than I do."

Something crumbled in Henry's features and he shook his head. "No. You lie!" He continued to shake his head as tears streamed down his cheeks. Yet even in his heart, he felt the truth of it.

Regina rushed forward and pulled the boy into her arms. He may be a prisoner, but he was her son; he always would be. He let her rock him, burying his face against her shoulder for he was as tall as she was now. Finally, he pulled away.

"Some nights, I dream of this place, like a village but the roads are paved in some form of black stone and the buildings are painted many colors and the people dress oddly."

"Storybrooke." Regina smiled fondly. There were times it had been hell, but she missed that town in Maine. It had been a different world there, a world where Emma Swan existed.

"So it's real then? That place?"

"It was." Regina regarded him sadly. "Once upon a time."


	31. Ride On

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: a big thank you to all of my readers for having faith in this story and me. i know i'm making it quite difficult to believe this is heading for a happy ending. i hope you stick with it. enjoy and review.

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"What are you hoping to find out here?" Peyton pulled her horse up alongside Regina's.

Regina regarded the girl intensely. She was beautiful, with a strong will, despite her age. She reminded Regina rather of herself at that age, the days when Sutter was everything and her world was the woods just outside the walls of her father's small castle. She'd asked that Henry be allowed to accompany her on this little mission, but King James was still suspicious of him, though he had allowed him a room. It would take time for the royals and the realm to warm up to the idea of their new heir to the throne, but they would. It was hard not to be charmed by Henry. So she'd taken Peyton in Henry's stead. She claimed to know where he received his orders and her lack of life experience made her bold. She wanted to prove herself, as all young ones do. "I do not know. I'm hoping to find some trace of Henry's boss I suppose."

"To kill him?" Peyton turned her eyes down to her hands.

Regina shook her head. "No. The Princess did a very brave thing by jumping in front of that arrow, but he did not order _her_ killed. The bounty was on my head, and I was guilty. In many ways I still am."

"We're all guilty of something."

The corner of Regina's mouth turned up in a smile. Peyton had taken to her quickly, despite how Regina had treated her when first they met. In that, she reminded Regina of Emma. She'd be a good princess and an even better queen one day. "And what exactly, little princess-to-be, are you guilty of?"

"More than you might imagine." She again looked to her reins, this time in shame. "But I do love Prince Henry."

"If there is one thing Henry's mother taught me… it's that our past does not define who we are. Whatever it is you did… you should let it go. Your heart has no room for hate."

They rode in silence for a time, Peyton guiding the way at a leisurely pace. There were no time constraints this time around, they could go at their own pace.

"After you find what you're looking for… you're going to leave, aren't you?"

"Yes, child, I will."

Peyton stopped her horse. "But I don't want you to go."

Regina stopped as well and stared at the young girl.

"Peyton… my place is with Emma, wherever that may be."

Peyton spurred her horse back into movement. "Maybe your place is with her son. Maybe your legacy is to be the mother she'll never be able to."

Regina glared at her. "I got ten years with Henry; Emma only got two. And I believe he's worse off for that." She softened slightly. "Henry is a man now, there's nothing for him left to learn from me."

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"This is it?" Regina raised an eyebrow as they stopped at an unremarkable tree that looked like every other tree around it. It wasn't in a clearing. There was no special marker that she could see. But the hole was there. And in it rested a rolled up parchment. Regina reached in and grabbed it. "You would think that the orders to end someone's life would warrant a little more… I don't know… just _more._" She unrolled the parchment. It was blank. "There's nothing here."

Peyton stepped forward and placed a hand on the parchment, she mumbled a few words in a tongue Regina had never heard before. Slowly ink seemed to flow out onto the paper from an invisible pen as it wrote orders. Once it was done, she was staring down at her own face. It was another order for her.

"Regina." Peyton's voice was barely above a whisper. "The seal was already broken."

Regina's spine went rigid. "Maybe it was a child who stumbled across it, put it back when they saw it was blank.

Peyton frowned and shook her head. "This place can only be found by those who know where it is. It's magically protected."

They both heard the swish of the air parting as the arrow sliced through it. Regina had just enough time to duck. When she looked up, a shaft was protruding from the face on the parchment.

Both women looked to the trees in time to see a figure hooded in green darting from branch to branch with the skill of a monkey.

Regina spurred her horse after the assailant. It was hard going on the ground, moving her horse around obstacles that littered the floor of the forest while the stranger above had no such obstacles. But there was one advantage Regina did have. She wasn't traveling by a means that could run out at any moment. And that's exactly what happened. She saw a clearing ahead and to their right and she chased the hooded figure in that direction. Finally the figure had no other option but to swing down into the clearing.

Peyton rode up beside Regina. She got off her horse and started to speak in the foreign tongue. The hooded figure kept his back to them and did not speak.

"Did you hear what I said?" Peyton glared at their adversary. "She's been redeemed of her sins by order of the Queen. You will not hunt her!"

The figure still said nothing, but now white energy seemed to emanate around his edges, as if he were preparing to throw his entire power at the young woman demanding him. She could sense great power thrumming through the stranger's being. Regina jumped off her horse and tackled Peyton to the ground but the figure just disappeared in a swirl of white mist.

"Who was that?" Regina stood and helped Peyton up.

The young woman looked to the place where the hooded stranger had been only moments before. "I don't know. He didn't respond to my commands."

Regina frowned. "Your commands?" She grabbed Peyton's forearm. "_You_ run the Green Cloaks?"

Slowly Peyton shook her head. "Not entirely. I'm second in command, but I might as well be the leader. I deliver most of the orders. The Exiled Wolf hasn't been heard from in over a year. He may not even be alive anymore."

Regina let a smirk creep onto her face. "_Brilliant_. Who would suspect a young woman from a village? The leader of the Green Cloaks doesn't hide in some secret lair; she hides in plain sight and no one ever suspects a thing." She clapped her hands together once in an expression of delight. "You _think_, dear, and that makes you a force to be reckoned with because no one expects it of you." Her mind thought of all the possibilities. She could train Peyton, take her under her wing, teach her the arts. She would be brilliant, a true and worthy heir of the empire she had built. It was there, for the taking, right where she left it. Peyton would slide in smoothly, an easy transition. Then Henry could rule _her_ empire by Peyton's side, not his grandparent's. The possibilities were endless.

_Regina. Come back, love. Fight the emptiness._

"Regina, are you alright?" Peyton was looking at her with concern.

Regina nodded. "Yes, dear, I'm fine." She smiled. "Even now, she's still the voice in my head."


	32. Vindicated

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: i am finally home from my weekend in tahoe, which was awesome. thought i'd post this before school tomorrow. there's still more to come, it's looking like it may go beyond 40 chapters. we'll see. thank you for all the support. as always, enjoy and review.

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Peyton had met The Exiled Wolf by chance four years before. While gathering some berries for the village harvest in the woods, she had stumbled across The Exiled Wolf, wounded. She'd used magic to heal him. It had been in her blood, her grandmother had been a witch. As a reward, she had been taken under his wing. Everyday she had snuck out into the woods to train. She was a fast learner; it wasn't even two months before she was proficient enough to start carrying out orders herself. Slowly, the brotherhood grew as people young and old heard of their cause and felt it worthy enough to risk their lives for. They were now over forty strong.

"I should never have gotten Henry involved." Peyton stared off, stewing in her regret. "I knew he wasn't ready, but he wanted it so badly. There's something so… good inside him. He's always trying to push out the dark."

"He was always that way. It's that part of him that led him to seek Emma out in the first place. You can't blame yourself; he would have found a way in, with or without your help. He may be good, but he's also stubborn." Regina put a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder as they rode side by side through the trees. "Do you know where The Exiled Wolf is now?"

Peyton shook her head. "About a year ago, he ran off in search of someone, he never told me who. I haven't seen him since. He left me in command until his return."

"Do you think he's come back?"

Peyton shrugged. "It's possible. All I know is, I never sent out the order for your head and none of the Green Cloaks have that kind of power, that kind of energy we saw back in the clearing. I don't know the man who fired on us, but he's not obeying the code."

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"May I come in?" Regina peeked around the door.

Henry nodded from his place by the window.

She entered and closed the door, taking a long moment to stare at him as he stared out the window. "You look like your mother. Both of you get attached to the window, as if looking for a way out."

He gave her his best deadpan look, a perfect imitation of Emma. "I'm a _prisoner_."

"It's better than the cell, is it not?"

He conceded with a nod. "It is… more comfortable." He finally turned his attention completely towards her and away from the window. "What is it you'd have of me, Lady Regina?"

"I'd like to know where The Exiled Wolf is hiding."

He seemed unsurprised. "What makes you think I know?"

"Peyton was in command in his absence. She already admitted she didn't give the arrow and order, which you would have already known. That leaves me cause to be suspicious."

Henry narrowed his eyes and regarded her. "Why does he want you dead? The guards outside the door admitted they'd never heard of you until the night the Princess was shot. Same for all the servants. Who are you, that he deems you threat enough to die?"

Regina took a seat on the bed and looked at her hands, folded in her lap. "I've done a great many evil things Henry. It's only because of your mother that I'm alive… in more ways than you could understand. She redeemed me, gave me back my soul." When Regina lifted her gaze back to her now grown son, there were tears at the corner of her eyes. "I just want to honor her memory, and her sacrifice."

Henry looked at her suspiciously. "By killing The Exiled Wolf?"

Regina shook her head. "By answering for my sins."

Henry stared at her. "I'll take you to him, but I must have your word that no harm will come to him at your hand."

Regina nodded. "You have my word."

Henry looked about to say something when a guard entered. "Beg your pardon, mi'lady, but the King has requested the presence of the captive."

She looked at Henry and nodded. "It's okay. Go. I'm right behind you."

Henry followed the guard out.

Regina was about to do the same, when something drew her to the place by the window the boy had inhabited when she'd entered. So it seemed he hadn't been wishing for escape, but rather for the power to turn back time. The view from his window was a direct view of the grave by the apple tree.

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She slid silently into the back of the chamber. The only other occupants were Henry, Peyton, James, and Snow. Snow looked up and smiled when she noticed Regina, beckoning her forward. She skirted around the perimeter of the room and came to stand beside Snow.

King James took a step forward and stared at the boy. He walked around him slowly, a predator surveying his prey. Finally he stopped before him. "I didn't get much time with my daughter. She lived an entire life without me. But she was extremely precious to me."

Henry's head sank. He was staring at the floor, his guilt preventing him from keeping eye contact with his grandfather.

"Still, she spoke often enough of you. I think she thought you dead. She didn't talk much about what happened, just that she'd made a very hard choice to keep you safe." He lifted the boy's chin. "Lady Regina has led me to understand you would never have fired that arrow if you had known who you are."

"I did not know the Princess was my mother, sire."

"Emma would have wanted us to take you in, no matter your crime. So, we will."

Henry looked up in shock.

"You will take your rightful place as heir of the kingdom. You will renounce all ties to the Green Cloaks."

Henry shook his head. "They took me in when no one else would! They are good people; they are the justice in this land."

"Henry." Snow White stepped forward. "We all believe in justice here. But killing without a trial… I asked Lady Regina to murder you. What if she had? What if she hadn't recognized you? I wanted you dead, without a trial. This wasn't your fault. But did I care? No. Assassinating wrong-doers, however noble a cause it may seem, is still murder."

Henry looked to Regina. It was the first time since he was a young boy that he had sought her opinion in any matter. It made her heart ache just a bit for how they used to be, way back in the days when fairytales were just stories told at bedtime.

"They're right Henry. It wouldn't do for the crowned Prince to be an assassin."

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After a tiresome dinner with several people of consequence to get the word out on the heir apparent, Regina walked with Henry back to his tower room. Snow and James had offered to give him a larger bed chamber closer to the heart of the castle, as suited a Prince, but he had refused. They hadn't pressed him about his reasons, but Regina suspected it was the view from his window. Henry would always carry the burden of what he did with him, all his days. She only hoped one day that choice would help him become a fair and kind ruler.

"I expect you still wish to seek out the Exiled Wolf."

"I do."

"It's a long ride. It'll take most of the day." Henry looked at her, still clinging to the futile hope that she'd change her mind.

"I can handle the ride."

Henry nodded, sighing resignedly. "With the King's permission, we'll leave on the morrow."


	33. Another Day

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: love the snow/regina scene in this chapter. one of the first scenes i wrote for this fic. we're getting closer to the exiled wolf, but not quite there. and this story is starting its steady descent down to the conclusion. but we are still not finished. is there a way to bring emma back? why does the exiled wolf want regina dead? will regina revert back to her old ways. answers to all questions, eventually. enjoy and review.

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Dawn was just breaking over the sea when the rode out of the stable. Snow was waiting for them in the courtyard; James had said his goodbyes earlier. She smiled and walked over to the teenager on his horse. "You'll be safe?"

He nodded. "I will."

She smiled. Her gaze shifted to Regina. "I need to talk to Regina alone for a moment."

Henry nodded, then looked at Regina. "We have little time." He rode off towards the raised portcullis to give the two women their privacy.

"I wanted you to know that I wrote up your royal pardon last night, absolving you of any past crimes you may have committed. James and I both signed it this morning." She held a rolled parchment out to Regina, affixed with the royal seal. "If the Exiled Wolf still desires your head, I hope this will deter him."

Regina took the scroll from her. Here it was, her redemption, resting in her hands. She stared at it, unable to convey how much it meant to her. "I'm sorry… for the price you paid so that I could have this."

Snow's face flashed briefly with pain and then slowly turned into a sad acceptance. "It was a price we all paid. Em… she meant something to us all. None of us got enough time with her." She looked down at her hands. "Perhaps that's the cruelest part of all." She wiped away the tears that were just starting to fall. "Keep him out of trouble." She looked towards the gate, where Henry sat, watching them with a look of impatience.

"I will." She pressed her horse forward, but a pale hand shot out and grabbed the reins, stopping the animal.

"When you return, I'd like to discuss you staying _here_, as my personal advisor. It would be good for Henry, and Peyton adores you. I'd be lying if I said I haven't grown accustomed to your presence." She released the reins. "But that's a matter for when you return. Be safe."

Regina stared at Snow, wanting to say something to the woman she had once blamed for ruining her life, but now credited with helping save it, but the dark haired woman didn't give her the opportunity. She rushed off back towards the castle, leaving Regina with nothing to do but join Henry at the gates.

"What was that all about?" He looked at the parchment she still held with undisguised curiosity.

Regina glanced at the royal decree she held. "Forgiveness."

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They rode hard all morning, keeping mostly to the road, occasionally cutting through the woods when it was necessary. Regina didn't think they'd be bothered; they were still on the 'good' side of the treaty line after all. But Henry seemed paranoid. He wouldn't utter where they were going aloud, just a short "someplace far away". At random intervals he'd utter a quick cloaking spell to hide their tracks and he was always acutely aware of the littlest sounds around them.

Finally, just after the sun reached it's peak in the sky, he agreed that they should stop. They found a small stream to water their horses and dismounted.

"We're about halfway. It'll be another six hours or so of hard riding. We'll give the horses an hour of rest and then we have to be off again."

Regina ran her hand gently down her horse's mane. "You've been checking over our shoulder all morning. Are you afraid we're being followed?"

Henry frowned. "Oh, we're being followed."

Regina raised an eyebrow. She hadn't heard pursuit. "When did we pick up the tail?"

He scowled. "I have a feeling we left with it."

Regina was about to comment but he held up a hand to silence her. He slunk away from the stream and into the thick woods around them. For several minutes there was complete and utter silence, then a loud scream emanated from somewhere back down the way they'd come. A few moments later Henry reappeared, carrying a kicking figure over his shoulder with one arm and leading a grey horse with the other.

"Henry! You put me down this instant!" Peyton was beating her fists against his back to no avail. He grinned triumphantly at Regina before setting his betrothed down, not roughly but neither gently. She scowled and pushed him back, to which he just laughed.

Regina cleared her throat.

Peyton whirled around and had enough good sense to look guilty. She poked at the ground with the toe of a riding boot. "I didn't want to miss out on all the action."

Regina frowned at the young girl. "You're lucky that Henry has sensed your presence this whole time. We could easily have killed you."

Peyton frowned, her boot digging more furiously at the grass.

Regina softened and smiled at Peyton fondly. "That being said; I would have done much the same at your age."

"You would?" Peyton looked at her warily.

Regina nodded. "Yes, dear. I had quite a taste for excitement in my youth."

Peyton grinned, obviously pleased with being compared to the older woman. "So, I can stay? You won't send me back?"

Regina looked at Henry. "It's up to the Prince."

Henry looked about to say something but Peyton held up a hand to cut him off.

"I'm staying!"

Henry sighed. "Fine."

Regina chuckled. "Well it's easy to see who wears the pants in this relationship."

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They set off within the hour, but Henry didn't take them back to the road. This time they stuck to the trees, cutting through nature, fields, meadows, woods, rivers. It was slower going than their original pace, but they were making decent time none the less, especially with the edition of a third rider.

They were still twenty minutes out when she started to recognize things. A certain tree or boulder seemed familiar. Hadn't she seen that farm before? But it wasn't until they entered the clearing that she knew.

She leapt down from the horse before it had even stopped. She rushed forward, falling against the familiar wood as if it would take all her pain away. She ran a hand across the wood, a smile plastered to her face.

"Oh my."

Regina turned to Peyton at the sound of her exclamation, but the younger woman wasn't looking at her. Rather, her gaze was fixed on something up above Regina's head. The brunette followed her gaze and couldn't help the lurch her heart gave when she spotted the object of Peyton's attention. There, just out of reach, up the tree was a carving. _Regina Loves Emma_.


	34. Somebody That I Used To Know

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: this chapter is our setup for the end folks. this story is almost at its conclusion. i may attempt to write a sequel, but i never seem to stick with them so then again, maybe i won't. and enter the exiled wolf. enjoy and review.

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Regina stared at the crude carving with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. In a swirl of smoke, she was sitting seven feet up on the branch by the carving, just as she had when she'd engraved it. Slowly, she reached out and traced the letters with her finger. She closed her eyes and saw Emma as she'd been in Terra dos Imortais. Her blonde hair, her easy smile, her… green cloak. Regina's eyes shot open. But, there was no possible way. Emma was _dead_. She jumped down, landing with her usual feline grace.

"You've been here before?" Peyton looked at her, surprised. It wasn't exactly well-known among the nobles, not since the small castle about a mile west had been abandoned, the village gone to ruins. How would Regina know this place?

Regina nodded. "I grew up here."

Henry stared at her suspiciously. "If you carved that when you were young… how did you know my mother? I was told she was lost for almost all her life in another realm."

Regina felt a pang of sadness when she thought of Storybrooke. She had threatened the fairytale community that it would be someplace horrible, and it had been, for twenty eight years. But then, Emma Swan had come and she had made it wonderful. Those two years in Storybrooke were the happiest she'd ever known. "I've loved Emma Swan my whole life."

Henry seemed about to protest, but Peyton held up a hand to effectively cut him off. "It's a girl thing."

"Is the Exiled Wolf in the grotto behind the waterfall?"

Both Peyton and Henry couldn't contain their shock.

"How did you…" Peyton looked at the older woman in amazement.

Regina smiled. "An old friend once showed me." She started off in the direction of the waterfall. "I know the way from here. Set up camp; I'll be back after nightfall."

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She stared down at the small waterfall as it babbled at her. Just as in the clearing, Emma's presence still lingered here in her memories. Smoke engulfed her and carried her to the small space behind the wall of water. The Exiled Wolf wasn't home. It was as it had been in Terra dos Imortais. There was the straw bed off to one side, but little else. The pool of water that met with the stone and led back through the wall of water, that place where they'd spent hours getting lost in the feel of hungry mouths seeking purchase, of roaming hands sliding across skin.

She sat down on the cold stone and settled in to wait for the wolf to return.

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It was sunset by the time he made his presence known. She waited for the bells from the village that hailed the retiring of the sun, but they never came, she knew her old village had long since gone to ruin. Then he was there. She stared up at an imposing figure. He was angled away from her so it was impossible to see the face under the hood.

"You've been following us for a while. I sensed it. I just don't understand why you kept me waiting so long."

"I was hoping your party was just passing through." It wasn't Emma's voice but she had known better than to hope.

Regina stood, brushing the rock dust off her riding trousers. "I thought you were dead."

"I was." The figure finally lowered his hood now that he realized she knew his identity. The Huntsman stared at her with contempt in his eyes. "Did you miss me, Regina?" His voice was without malice, but the words still hit Regina like a slap in the face.

"No, but Emma did. She was the victim of one of your little arrows, dipped in a rather curious poison." She glared right back at him. "Tell me, dear, does revenge taste as sweet as you thought it would?"

He frowned. "No."

Regina gave a sharp nod. "Just like me, you had to learn the hard way that it never does."

"Why have you sought me out Regina?"

For the first time, Regina didn't have a snippy retort. She sighed. "In part to ask you to remove the order against me."

"And why would I do that?"

"Emma died; she paid with her life so I could have a clean slate."

"You don't _deserve_ a clean slate."

She nodded. "I know. But regardless of whether I deserve it or not, it's what she gave to me."

"You can't just walk away from your crimes without punishment, Regina."

Regina smiled at him sadly. "Oh, believe me, I'm being punished. I'd give it back in a moment for Emma's life. She was never meant to pay the price. It was always supposed to be _me_."

He stared at her. Finally he muttered a few words and the firepit in the center of the chamber lit up.

"You've acquired power."

"I _am_ power."

She raised an eyebrow but he ignored her and took a seat on a boulder near the fire.

"When I died, it brought me back here. Little remained of the world you left behind. Animals had died from starvation, wolfs and bears ruled the woods. People remained, those who hadn't been in the realm when the curse was set upon us, but they were few and far between. I would go for weeks without seeing another living being. I was wounded in an altercation with a bear. It was then I stumbled across Peyton. She took care of me. I taught her marksmanship and she taught me the basics of magic. Between us, we came up with the idea for the Green Cloaks. When the curse broke and everyone returned… the treaty helped our cause. We became the police of the 'good' side. Then… Emma sought me out."

Regina's eyes widened. Of all the things he could possibly have said, that was not one she'd ever considered. "Emma?"

"She sought my help, dealing with a problem."

"How did she even know you were alive?"

"She didn't. She was seeking out the Exiled Wolf, not Graham, not the Huntsman, but the leader of the Green Cloaks."

"What did she need your help with?" Regina eyed him warily.

"Emma needed help assassinating Rumpelstiltskin."

Regina couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. "That's absurd! The Dark One cannot be fooled with the likes of arrows. He can predict the future."

The Huntsman smiled and held up a finger. "He can only see that which he looks for. It was how he was able to be tricked into his prison. His methods aren't without fault. He just has to be beat at his own game. He has to be _outsmarted_."

"And how did she propose that be done?"

He spent the next few hours telling her all about Emma's plan and their secret meetings together in the forest. It was actually quite a good plan, but she wished Emma had never taken the risk. Her life was too precious to gamble with, and yet gamble with it she had. And in the end, she'd lost.

"I still believe we can finish what Emma started."

Regina shook her head. "Are you proposing I carry out her plan?"

The Huntsman nodded. "It's what Emma would have wanted. All the players are in place. Someone just needs to knock over the first domino and set things into motion."

Regina glared at him with some of her old venom in her eyes. "Don't presume to make me feel guilty. Playing with my emotions will win you no favor." She stormed towards the wall of water. "I'll think on it and return tomorrow."

"Regina, what if I told you I could bring Emma back?"

She froze just short of leaving. Had she really just heard him correctly? She looked over her shoulder.

He was staring at her over the glow of the fire, lighting his face up eerily in the dark of the small cave. "If you do this, I can give you Emma."

"I know power. I have power. Even I can't reanimate the dead. Emma is gone, Huntsman, do not make empty promises." Her tone was lethal.

His eyes sparked with a hint of something slightly dangerous. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. Kill Rumpelstiltskin and Emma is yours."


	35. Please Don't Leave Me

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: an update for all of you. as well as good news (i hope) because i have glided right past chapter 40 and am still going. i had a burst of inspiration, so it looks like 45 is the new magic number but we'll see what happens. this chapter focuses on the development of the bond between regina and snow which i'm enjoying, but i promise we will get back to the exiled wolf's offer soon enough. there's hope yet for the safe return of emma swan. stay tuned! enjoy and review.

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"I was afraid something had happened to you." Peyton was sitting up in the apple tree when she returned. She joined her up on the branch. Henry was sound asleep by their little fire.

"The Exiled Wolf and I have more in common than you might suspect. We've known each other for a great many years."

Peyton was quiet for a long time, picking at an invisible thread on her riding trousers. Finally she glanced over at Regina. "I have a feeling you've lived quite a life. I'd like to hear about it one day."

Regina couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face. "I'm glad you're marrying Henry. I imagine if I would have ever had a daughter of my own, I'd have liked her to be much like you." She looked at the young woman fondly. "You remind me so much of Emma. I can see why he's so enamored with you."

Peyton beamed proudly. "I think I would have liked to know the Princess."

Regina nodded, glancing back down to Henry. "She was something special."

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The next morning, Regina found herself back in the cave behind the waterfall. There was no trace of the Exiled Wolf. She wasn't surprised that he'd bailed in the night. She hadn't expected him to wait for her answer. He knew, just as she did, that she was always going to agree. She would do whatever it took just to get one more day with Emma. But she was surprised that he hadn't left any sort of directions as to what step to take next.

She was about to leave when she noticed an odd formation of stone at the far side of the cave. She walked over to the back wall and examined the oddity. She reached out and pulled at the stone and it came free, reveal a small cubby behind it. She reached in and came back with two items that amazed her. One was a small bottle she recognized all too well. She imagined it as it had hung around Emma's neck in Terra dos Imortais. She hadn't been wearing it the day Sutter had come for them now that Regina thought back on it. Had she left it here? But why?

She turned her attention to the second item, a small scrap of parchment that was yellowed with age. It was blank. She turned it over in her hands, looking for a clue as to its purpose, but it was unmarked. She tucked it and the bottle into the pocket of her riding jacket. She would try and decipher them later.

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"There you are! You had me and James sick with worry!" Snow ran straight up to Peyton's horse.

Peyton seemed taken aback. "I'm sorry. I've never had to answer for my whereabouts before."

Snow frowned. "You're to be a Princess now, and Queen one day in the future. You need to learn how to conduct yourself like a proper lady. You will start lessons tomorrow!"

When Snow turned her back, Peyton made a face at Regina and she had to stifle a laugh.

Snow's motherly expression softened as her gaze turned to Regina. "I'd like to speak with you in my parlor once you've had time to rest."

Regina nodded. "Of course."

Snow glanced between them and then with a slight nod, was off back into the castle.

It was almost an hour later before Regina found herself in the lavish parlor of the Queen. Snow beamed when she entered but it fell away fast into a look of exhaustion.

"Are you ill?"

Snow shook her head. "Just tired. I feel like I've aged decades in the past few weeks."

Regina nodded. "It's understandable. We've all endured a lifetime's worth of loss in so short a time."

"Did you find what you were searching for?"

"More or less. But I didn't find Emma, and I've come to realize that that is what I have been searching for all along."

Snow tilted her head and regarded Regina with interest. "Come. Sit."

Regina hesitated but finally crossed the room and sat on one of the couches.

"As I mentioned before, I'd like to discuss a more… _permanent_ situation for you here. I'm not sure where you hail from, but you haven't seemed in a rush to go home. And Peyton… she'll need someone to help teach her."

"Isn't that what you're here for?"

"I can teach her how to curtsy and look decent in a gown, but I can't help her with her magic. I know how much she admires you and it would devastate Henry to lose you. Especially after he just lost…" Snow glanced away in shame and pain. "I'd like you _here_. You… you're my connection to my daughter. I have a feeling that you knew her better than any of us had any hope to. When she came to me and told me Bae wasn't her true love… she never said your name, but when she spoke of you… her whole being just lit up. You were obviously the most precious thing in her life. It may be selfish… but I need that connection here with me. When I start to forget what she looked like…" Tears sprang into Snow's eyes and she fell down onto the opposite couch, wringing her hands together. "When I start to forget her laugh and her smile and the way she rolled her eyes like a petulant child when she thought you weren't looking… I want you here to remind me. I _need_ that."

Regina opened her mouth to tell Snow White her plan, to reassure her that there was hope, but instantly closed it again. She wasn't certain that the Exiled Wolf wasn't just playing off her guilt as a means to his own end. If he was, it wouldn't do to give Snow false hope that she could bring Emma back. It wouldn't do to give herself that hope either. Emma was gone, and until she was once again in Regina's arms, Regina would not make empty promises. "There are some things I need to do first, a few old debts I have yet to repay. But once I have paid them, if I am able, I will return here and do as you ask." She smiled to herself. "We were once great enemies Snow, hell-bent on each other's destruction. I never thought there would come a day where I'd enjoy your company. But Emma changed that. Emma changed a lot of things." She stood. "Once I have done what I need to, I will return. This is Emma's resting place, which means it's my place too."


	36. As You Turn Away

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: another update for you all. i will be super busy the next two weeks and don't know when i'll get another chance to post, but i promise to update when i can. thank you to those who continue to read and review. i appreciate the feedback. it means a lot to me. enjoy and review.

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Everything was in place. All she had to do was stick to the plan. But that was easier said than done. It had been nearly two weeks since her audience with the Exiled Wolf and she hadn't seen him since. She was growing restless. How dare he make empty promises about delivering Emma back to her? She could tolerate him playing on her guilt because, in many ways, she was guilty and she deserved it. But giving her false hope… that was intolerable.

"I know you're here dearie. I can sense your pain. It's like a musk; it rolls off you in waves. Bittersweet."

She stepped from the shadows. "And I assume you know why I've come?"

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head and regarded her with eyes that told of a mind long lost to insanity. "You've come to bargain. Those who come here do so only out of desperation. If you're here it means you failed to rescue the Princess."

"I was moments too late."

"Moments or millennia, it matters not. Too late is too late."

"Can you bring her back, or not?"

"To restore a life, dearie, is no easy task."

Regina was growing impatient. She paced in front of the bars, feeling the creature, for that's what he was, following her with his eyes. "If my own magical abilities rendered me capable of doing so, I would have already revived her. I know it is no easy task, but you were able to construct a curse that manipulated life as we know it. You were able to erase memories of my past deeds. I know you can revive her… if the price is right."

"And what could you possibly give me in return?"

"Your freedom, to start. Your son is waiting, with a horse for you. He will take you to a secure location."

For the first time since she'd stepped out of the shadows, he looked interested. "That's a start dearie, but hardly adequate payment for restoration of life." He turned away towards the back of his cell, dismissing her.

"Belle."

He froze. "Excuse me. I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"Belle is not dead. I will release her into your custody."

Rumplestiltskin seemed to mull it over. Finally he turned to her. "Deal. You set me free, then Bae, you and I will travel together to retrieve Belle. Once she is safely in my possession, I will restore to you the Princess."

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"She has decided to stay James." Snow grinned at her husband as they stood on the balcony of their bed chamber.

"Emma would have been happy." James smiled down at his wife.

The door burst open, causing the royals to tense. A trio of guards rushed forth and fell to one knee. "Your Majesty, Rumplestiltskin has escaped!"

James took a step forward. "That's impossible! That cell is magically sealed. It can only be opened from the outside and even then by a powerful magical spell."

"He was aided."

"By who?"

The guard who was speaking looked slightly uncomfortable. "By Lady Regina, sire."

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It felt unusual to be back on this road. It hadn't been that long since she'd been here, the day of the party to be specific, but it felt like a past life, an eternity ago. It had been before people had forgotten who she was. She had still been a queen then, still been evil in their eyes. Now, she was… what was she? She had been given a clean slate, and an opportunity to erase the hate between her and Snow White, the hate that had caused this whole mess. And she had thrown that opportunity away.

"You seem distracted, dearie."

Regina glanced over at the Dark One.

"Don't worry dearie, I always keep my end of the bargain."

Emma. She was doing this for Emma. She needed Emma back. Making a deal with Rumplestiltskin, owing him anything, even for a short period of time, weighed heavily on her conscience. But she needed Emma back. She needed to hold her again, to touch her, to know she was alive and breathing. It was one thing to be forced to live without the company of Emma Swan but to be forced to live in a world where Emma Swan didn't even exist… it hurt to even think about. "I have no doubt you'll provide me with the Princess."

"You're wondering whether she'll be… as she was before." He gave a flourish of his hands and one of his signature sneers.

Regina worked her jaw. He just loved making this choice difficult for her. "Will she?"

"Do not fear, the Swan will be as she was."

Regina nodded and slowed her horse down so that she could keep company with the son, rather than the father.

"You betrayed the King and Queen."

Regina nodded. "That's what evil does." She tried not to let the pain through into her tone. She didn't want to lose the clean slate. It seemed like a slight to Emma's sacrifice. And her redemption was also something she valued, second only to Emma and Henry. She had forgotten what it felt like to have people look at her and not turn away in disgust or fear. She had forgotten how good it felt to be known for the good she'd done, rather than the bad.

"You really love Emma, don't you?"

Regina smiled for the first time since she'd gone to break Rumplestiltskin from his magical prison. "Emma was… the best thing that could ever and did ever happen to me."

"She was crazy about you. I always knew that everything she did was to bring you and her together, including agreeing to marry me. She spoke of you all the time, always with a great deal of hope. I'm sorry you never got your chance."

"You have a good heart, Baelfire… why would you taint it by doing this?" She nodded in the direction of Rumplestiltskin with her head.

"He is my father." Bae shrugged. "It is my responsibility."


	37. You Lie

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: anyone been wondering what emma was up to those four months between the breaking of the curse and when she meets regina again at the ball? well that's what the next few chapters will be about: things from emma's side. it gives you a little insight into her dealings with the exiled wolf as well as her deal with rumpelstiltskin and what drove her to it. these have been some of my favorite chapters to write for this story and i hope everyone likes them. that being said, enjoy and review.

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What was this pounding in her head? Where was she? She had told Regina not to let her drink anymore. She tried to move her hand to rub her temple and found her arm restricted. The space she was sitting in was small, just big enough for her to sit up without bumping her head. It was too dark to see anything. She reached out her hands and they slid across sanded wood. She was in a box of some sorts. She continued to slide her hands around, feeling out her prison. She felt no rush of wind, no break in the wood that would indicate how to escape. She beat against the walls, kicking and hitting to no avail at the smooth surface. She thrashed and then, her head slammed hard against the wood and she sank back into blackness.

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"It has to be her, Charming. A mother knows these things."

"But you said she claimed Emma had died."

"Maybe she doesn't even _know_ Emma's alive. Maybe she _believes_ she's dead. Maybe Emma was supposed to die but the magic of the tree saved her again. I don't know what happened, all I know is that is our daughter."

Emma's eyes slid open at the voices. She was in a bed she'd never been in before, even fancier than Regina's and that was saying something. Sheer curtains hung down from a canopy over her head, making everything beyond them look hazy but still visible. Two figures were standing off to her right. One was a woman with long black hair and the other looked suspiciously like David, but there was something off about him. She narrowed her eyes to get a better look at them and it caused a pain to shoot up her head. She groaned.

The curtains were pushed aside and Mary Margaret was leaning over her. No, not Mary Margaret, Snow White.

"Emma, darling, I'm here."

Emma managed a small smile. "Hey… mom." The word seemed foreign on her tongue but the look that lit up Snow White's face was worth it. She looked so happy.

"You remember me?"

"Of course I do."

Tears broke free from the corner of Snow White's eyes. "I knew you'd find a way back to us." She pulled Emma up into her arms and hugged her hard. Emma was weak, but she managed a small hug back. Finally, she'd come home to the parents she'd always longed for. And yet… something was missing. _Regina_.

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She stared into the mirror. The dress was beautiful. It was light blue, long sleeved and a very basic cut. She looked like the Princess they kept claiming she was. It had been three days since she woke up and she had been able to glean information off the guards about what had transpired once the curse broke. Regina had gone back to her castle. Emma had tried to get the location from them, but no one seemed to know where it was.

There was only one thing left for her to do. Unfortunately, it was the one thing she really didn't want to do.

"You look beautiful."

Emma turned to find Snow White in her doorway.

"I really wish you would let us throw a ball in your honor. It'd be a way to introduce you to all the people who've been waiting for your arrival, all the people you saved."

Emma smiled. "I already know them; they just don't remember."

"You seem sad. Do you miss it?"

Emma shrugged. "That world was an unforgiving place. There were a lot of hardships. But there was also a lot of good. I had someone there, someone who cared about me. I had… love."

"And this love of yours… he's still back there?"

"She. No, she came through too." Emma turned away.

Snow White smiled. "Well, we must summon her here. I just want you to be happy Emma. Who is she?"

"Regina."

Snow White's expression of joy crumbled instantly. "Emma, darling, no. She's evil. She bewitched you, don't you see? You mustn't believe any lie she told you. She's infamous for her trickery."

"You're wrong about her. Her soul, if you just take the time to look, it's beautiful."

Snow shook her head. "Good does not love evil Emma. We cannot allow this." With that, Snow left.

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She was just as gorgeous as ever. She stepped out of the carriage and Emma's breath caught. She put a hand to the glass and stared down at Regina, willing her to just look up. Today, she'd sign the treaty. She still believed Emma was dead; Snow and James had made sure that she believed Emma gone. Knowledge of her existence was magically prevented from falling into evil hands, thanks to a complicated spell by the fairies. Even Sidney, though that wasn't his name here, was unable to see her. Once they had her signature on that parchment, Regina would leave this half of the realm forever. Emma couldn't let that happen.

She turned from the window and ran to the door. She threw it open and was confronted by a solid wall of body as two guards barred her from exiting. Emma, never one to take containment lightly, brought her boot straight up into the crotch of the right guard and socked the left one square in the jaw. Both men stumbled back in surprise and she seized the opportunity. She ran out and down the corridor. She could hear the guards behind her as they recovered from the surprise attack. She tore around a corner and down a set of stairs. She just had to make it to Regina. As long as Regina saw her and knew she was alive, she would do everything in her power to get to Emma. The only thing keeping them apart now was Regina's belief that she was still back in the other world.

She rounded the final corner and made a mad dash into the conference style room that served as the castle's meeting chambers. All the people in the room turned their eyes to her, including Regina.

She smiled. She'd made it. But then she realized Regina's expression didn't mirror her own. Regina was looking at her with… was that disappointment?

"I told you she'd try and get to her. You don't mess with true love." Snow looked at James.

James sighed and shook his head. He waved his hand at a man standing silently in the corner and the man stepped forward and mumbled a few words and Regina disappeared. Standing in her place was Red.

The young woman shrugged apologetically. "I'm so sorry Emma."

Emma looked between all the faces in the room, finally settling on her mother's. "You tricked me?" The betrayal cut like a knife, nearly causing her to lose the contents of her stomach on the floor. She felt sick.

Snow must have seen the hurt in her eyes because she stepped forward, reaching out for her daughter.

Emma flinched away out of her touch.

"Emma, we just had to be sure that if we risked bringing her _here_ to sign the treaty, you wouldn't try and get to her. Now we know that we have to meet her somewhere else."

"This is my life! You have no right to interfere with my decisions!"

James stepped forward. "We are your parents! You don't know of what she's done! She is evil and I love you too much to let you walk willingly into her trap! I will always protect you."

"I think you're a little more concerned with protecting your reputation than you are with protecting me! You have no idea what I've suffered in my life!" Emma's venomous tone was reminiscent of a certain mayor's.

"Don't speak to me that way! I am your father!"

"You have a funny way of showing it." Emma shook her head and took a step back. "I can't even look at you." She glanced briefly at Snow, her frown only deepening. "Either of you." She turned and ran from the room, not paying attention to where she was going. She just knew she couldn't stop running.

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It was nearly an hour later when she collapsed, exhausted on the edge of a small lake. Tears flowed freely from her eyes though she hadn't remembered when they started falling. They'd come after her, she knew. Snow would give her a little bit of a head start, enough space that she wouldn't feel smothered, and then she'd send them to retrieve her. She stared at her reflection on the surface of the water. The face looking back at her seemed so sad. She had dull eyes and pale skin. Her hair was done up in a style that she didn't recognize as being truly her. This was _Princess_ Emma, and she was unhappy.

And then another face was staring back at her. She fell back a little in shock. But after a moment of surprise, she realized it was Sidney staring back at her from the surface of the water, or what could be Sidney's twin. He wasn't clean shaven like the former newspaper editor was, but she recognized his face.

"I thought evil beings were magically prevented from knowing of my existence."

The face frowned. "I am neither good nor evil Princess. I'm neutral; I choose no side. I'm merely an observer in the service of the Queen."

"But you can't tell her you saw me here, can you?"

"No, I'm afraid their little spell prevents me from confirming that you are alive."

Emma nodded, biting her lip. "Is she okay?"

"Would you like to see for yourself?"

Emma nodded and Sidney's face disappeared, replaced at once by a view of a stone room. It was very Regina, colorless except for a splash of crimson here and there. But it was the woman in the room that most garnered her attention. She looked just as Emma felt, empty somehow though she was back where she belonged, or at least where society deemed she belonged. Her hair was up, but Emma could tell that it would be long if let down. She seemed restless and Emma's arms ached to reach out and hold her.

"Will you show me the way to her castle?"

Sidney's face reappeared. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. She, like your parents, has put a spell on me to prevent me from showing anyone, good or evil, the way to the castle without her expressed permission. And I cannot ask her permission without revealing that you are alive, which I am also unable to do. Magic has rendered me incapable of giving either of you what you most desire: each other."

She could hear the hoof beats approaching. She didn't have much time. "If I return tomorrow, will you show me her again?"

The head bobbed in agreement. "That, Princess, is fully in my power. I may not be able to bring you together, but I can give you that much. Return to the lake and call upon me, and I will come"

Emma smiled, feeling hopeful for the first time since she'd awakened in this world.


	38. Hungry Like The Wolf

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so this chapter is all more flashback. i hope everyone is enjoying a little emma time. we really haven't seen too much of her but i do promise that will change, and not just flashbacks either *hint hint*. enjoy and review.

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Finally, they were giving her freedom. She'd been kept on such a tight leash ever since she'd asked her parents about Regina. The look on Snow's face when she'd begged to be with the Evil Queen had broken her heart. But Regina had always been her choice. Regina, and Henry, they were the only family she'd ever known. They were **everything**.

They'd agreed after that trick to let her spend one hour at the lake everyday. And she spent that hour with Regina, or at least with her image. She rememorized every curve of her fingers, every bat of her eyelashes, every curl in her hair. She talked to her reflection as if she were there. There were times she thought she may be going crazy, but what difference was this from those old widows who kept that creased old photograph of their deceased lovers? This was her photograph. This gave her sanity and peace of mind. She could bear her prison as long as she knew Regina existed. That single hour was the one time in the day that she felt truly alive.

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"Do you like boats?"

Emma looked over her shoulder. "Why?"

Snow leaned in the doorway. "You always seem so happy when you leave for the lake."

Emma shrugged. "It's peaceful there; I can think."

Snow sighed and came into the room. "It's not all bad here Emma, you'll see."

"Maybe I would be able to _see_ if I wasn't followed everywhere."

Snow bit her lip. "The royals in the land where you grew up, didn't they have guards?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, they did. But the guards took the orders; they didn't give them."

Snow sighed. "Fair enough." She sat down on the other side of the bed. "I don't want to see you unhappy Emma. I'm not blind. This hour of freedom you get is the only time I see a smile on your face. So, if you will swear an oath not to seek out the Evil Queen or anyone else who will take you to her, then you will have your freedom."

Emma regarded her mother suspiciously. "You'd let me go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted? No guards?"

Snow nodded. "You may go wherever you wish, except to _her_."

Emma grinned and pulled her mother into a hug. It wasn't exactly what she wanted, but it was definitely something she could work with.

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"You're an oracle, right?" Emma sat at the edge of the water as she did everyday.

The face regarded her with a frown. "To an extent. I cannot tell you the future, only the present."

"Is there anyway around this magic? Is there anyway I can be with her?"

Sidney was quiet for a long moment. Then, "Seek out the Exiled Wolf. He is the leader of a guild of assassins known as the Green Cloaks. He can help you."

"How can I find him?"

"Go to the village of Gotstow. There is a man there, a tailor. Tell him you have services to offer the Exiled Wolf. He'll know where to find the man you seek."

"Why are you helping _me_?" Emma stared at him curiously. Back in Storybrooke, Sidney Glass hadn't exactly been her greatest fan. He'd never seemed to hate her, but he also was not one to offer her any favors. Why would he here?

"It is not you I help, but her. Even after all this time, I still can't bear to see her suffer."

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"Are you sure you're ready for a trip of this magnitude on your own? Gotstow is on the edge of Mount Larene. It's nearly half a day's ride one way and you aren't familiar with the landscape."

Emma held up a hand to cut her mother off. "I'm not going alone. Your sending Luca and Cohmree with me. They'll protect me and be my guides until I get there. I want to explore, get out and see more of this land. Now that the treaty is in place, I can do so without fear. You've done everything you can to protect me, mom, it's time to loosen the leash a little."

Snow White had to admit that Emma was right. Gotstow was nowhere near the boundary line set by the treaty. She wasn't going to meet Regina. It was an odd selection. Of all the villages in their half of the realm, why Gotstow? But she knew the more she pressed for an answer, the less likely her daughter was to offer one. She had agreed easily enough to having Luca and Cohmree accompany her on the journey, so long as they left her to her business once there. It was more than she could have hoped for. Plus, Emma seemed excited for the first time since the treaty and Snow didn't want to take that from her. "You'll be careful?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course."

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"This is Gotstow?" Emma raised an eyebrow as she looked around.

"Not what you expected Princess?" Cohmree, a beefy guard with a scrunched up face that looked as if he was always thinking hard, tried to look amused, failing slightly.

"Not really, no." It wasn't like any of the more prosperous cities anywhere near the palace. This was the first she'd seen of poverty. The huts, for that's what the buildings could only be described as, were spread out. They were crudely made, obviously the handiwork of those individuals who now resided in them.

She slid down off her horse and handed the reins to Cohmree. "I don't know how long I'll be. Why don't you both go water the horses at that stream we saw about half a mile back?"

Luca, a tall and handsome young man two years her junior, seemed hesitant. "What if you need us Princess?"

"I'll be fine. I can handle myself."

He still seemed reluctant, but Cohmree cleared his throat and they departed back up the way they'd come. Once they had rounded a bend back up the road a ways, she turned and set about finding the tailor.

It was rather easy. The village was a fair size but the first villager she asked was able to point her to a cabin near the far side of town. It looked much like the other buildings around it, but there was a wooden sign hanging loosely from a metal pole above the door, depicting a needle and a spool of thread. She knocked, not really sure whether it was customary to just walk into establishments here.

A man who appeared to be just a few years older than herself answered the door. He wasn't bad looking. She wasn't sure why, but she had expected someone who looked a little more like Benjamin Franklin, colonial clothes and all, but this man was actually attractive.

"How may I be of service, Mi'lady?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and remember her purpose for coming here and then looked around to make sure no one was nearby. She leaned in and lowered her voice to a near whisper. "I was told to come to you for help with finding the Exil…"

The man held up a hand and gestured her inside, closing and locking the door behind her. The second the door was secure, he whirled on her. "Who are you? Who sent you? Where did you hear that name?"

"My name is Emma. I was sent here by a friend, the same friend who provided me with that name."

"What makes you think I can help you with what you seek?" He still regarded her with suspicion.

"I have services to offer the Exiled Wolf. I can help him with his mission. I just need to meet with him."

The young man raised an eyebrow and circled her slowly. "You expect to help the Exiled Wolf on his _mission_? What skills could _you_ possibly possess?"

Emma waited until he had come nearly around back to her front and her leg swiped out, catching him behind the knees and knocking him on his ass. She swung down in a flash, wrapping him in a chokehold. "Well, first of all, I'm often underestimated. It's an advantage I welcome." She let him out of the hold.

He glared at her. "Point taken."

"Now, can you take me to him or not?" She got up and dusted her skirt off before holding her hand out to help him up.

He shook his head. "That's not how it works. Return to the palace _Princess_. I shall offer him your services and if he wishes to accept, the Exiled Wolf will find you."

"That's not good enough!"

The man shrugged. "Well that is all I can offer."

Emma sighed. She wouldn't win this. "Fine. But tell your wolf friend to consider fast. This offer has an expiration date." She stormed out of the shop and back towards the road that would return her to the guards and the horses.

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It was almost two weeks later before he chose to seek her out.

She stared lovingly down at the reflection. Sadly, she had become used to this. She was in love with a reflection. After she'd pried Sidney's, or rather, the Genie's, story from him one afternoon, she realized they ironically had much in common. Everyday they both found solace in the reflection of the same woman, although he was quick to point out that Regina had never spared a tear for him.

Today, Regina looked more sad than any other time she'd seen the older woman. Her hair was once again up; Emma still had yet to see it down. She was tense and there was an air of… defeat around her that Emma had never seen before. Emma ached to let her know that she was here, that she was trying her hardest to find a way to her, that she would never ever give up on her. They'd been through so much in the time they'd known each other. They'd sacrificed so much! She'd lost her son, twice! Regina was all she had left in her world now. If she didn't have her… she had nothing.

A reflection fell across the vision of Regina on the surface of the water. The figure wore a heavy green cloak that hid the face. Emma's spine went rigid and she spun fast, punching him in the stomach. She jumped back, searching her surroundings for a weapon of some sort. The best she found was a fallen tree branch. She brandished it as one would a sword.

The figure, just recovered from her first blow, stumbled forward. She took a swing, but a gloved hand caught the branch and snapped it as if it were nothing more than a twig. She lunged forward and tackled the hooded stranger, knocking them both to the ground.

"Just as feisty as I remember." The stranger managed to choke out as they both warred to get the upper hand.

Emma froze, straddled across the former Sheriff's torso, her skirts billowing around them. She pushed back his hood. "Graham? You're alive?"

"Not if you have anything to say about it, it seems." He chuckled and grinned.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "I saw you _die_."

Graham raised an eyebrow. "And you haven't encountered the unbelievable before?" He gestured around them.

Emma had to admit that he did have a point. Her entire life had become one unbelievable event after another. Could she really question anything anymore?

"Why are you here Graham?"

He frowned.

Realizing how she sounded, Emma shook her head. "I didn't mean that how it sounded. I just… how did you find me?"

"You asked me to come. As for how, you aren't exactly covering your tracks. Your life as a Princess has become rather routine Emma. It's not hard."

Emma frowned. "You're the Exiled Wolf?" She felt stupid for not having realized it before. "Of course. It makes perfect sense now."

"What business could you possibly have with the lead of a guild of assassins?"

"I was told by… a friend that you could help me."

"Help you what?"

"Graham, after you died, back in Storybrooke… I… Regina and I…" She sighed. "I love her."

"But, let me guess, the treaty is keeping you apart?"

Emma sighed. "She doesn't even know I survived the breaking of the curse."

"She stole my heart from my chest Emma. And when I'd served her purpose, she destroyed it. She banished me, here, believing none of you would ever return. She cursed me to be **alone**. What makes you think I'd ever help you bring her happiness?"

Emma finally got up from her position and helped pull him up. "You cared about me, and my happiness, once."

"I still do."

"Her happiness and mine are intertwined. One can't be achieved without also achieving the other." She frowned. "My friend must have been mistaken in believing we could be helpful to each other."

Graham seemed taken aback for a moment and then his face lit up and he turned away. "That's it!"

"What's it?"

Graham turned back to her. "You're the missing piece!"

"You're not making any sense!" Emma grabbed his arm.

He looked for a moment at the lake. Though Sidney's face was no longer there, he still studied it suspiciously. He grabbed her hand and led her into the cover of the trees. "There is something I've been trying to do for a while now. I think you may just be the key to my plan, the thing he'll never see coming. If you help me, I'll make sure you and Regina can meet, face to face."

Emma's heart beat just a little faster. "What do you need from me? I'll do anything."

"I need you to help me kill Rumplestiltskin."

Emma's joy instantly dissipated. "Kill Rumplestiltskin? How can I help?"

Graham grinned. "You just need to make one little deal…"


	39. Rumour Has It

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: next chapter we will get the ball from emma's perspective which is what these flashback chapters have been about, as well as the deal in this chapter. thanks to all who continue to follow this story and review. i appreciate the support. enjoy and review.

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"You don't have to hide, dearie."

Emma flinched. For the most part, the people she had known from Storybrooke hadn't changed much when reverting back to their fairytale counterparts. They talked with the same accents, with the exception of their clothing, they looked the same. She'd been able to recognize everyone on sight. They seemed to be the same people, just dressed up for a renaissance fair…. But not Mr. Gold. His entire being had changed. He wasn't the same person. He wasn't a person at all anymore. His skin had taken on a slightly grey pallor. His hair was a mess of stringy waves. His eyes shifted about, glazed over with evidence of what kind of havoc containment was reeking on his psyche. He had a languid grace about his movements though, as if he was always about to break into dance. He so wasn't Mr. Gold.

She approached slowly, cautiously. She'd heard warnings about how great his powers were in this world. Rule number one, according to her parents, was to never make a deal with him. There were very few things in this world that you couldn't find an alternate solution to. Don't agree to bargain. And yet that was exactly what she came here to do.

"The Swan's feathers have lost their luster. Why so glum, dearie? You feel it, don't you?" He grabbed the bars of his cell and pressed his face through a gap between two. "You can sense the walls of your cage."

Emma frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You're trapped, a caged bird, though it is a much prettier cage than mine." His eyes danced as he grinned. "Do you want your freedom, little Swan?"

Emma ground her teeth together. His sickly sweet voice was getting on her nerves. She didn't like Rumplestiltskin. "It's not my freedom I seek."

Rumplestiltskin's face lit up. "The Swan Princess wishes the redemption of the one who made her a swan in the first place. A fickle and funny thing irony is."

"I want everyone to forget what she did. They already don't remember the curse, but they know of her threats well enough. Some people aren't satisfied with the treaty; they want justice. I'm afraid for her. So I want her to have a second chance, a clean slate and she can start over."

Rumplestiltskin seemed to consider the request thoughtfully. "All magic comes with its price dearie."

Emma frowned, her jaw working. "What's your fee?"

"There is a young man, around your age, by the name of Baelfire. I will clear the Evil Queen's name, if you make a vow to marry him."

"What's he to you?" Emma stared at the creature in suspicion. "You've never cared about villagers before. Not unless they have something you want." Rumplestiltskin always had an endgame that wasn't clear.

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head in concession. "Let's just say I… owe him."

Emma's first thought was to press, but he had no reason to give her anymore than that. So, she let the subject drop. "I have an addition to our agreement, an escape clause."

Rumple looked intrigued. "What's this now dearie? An _addendum_? Now that's one I don't hear very often."

"If she dies… I'm released from my commitment to Baelfire."

Rumplestiltskin bared his crooked teeth in what she assumed was supposed to be a smile. "Agreed."

"I'm not finished." Emma took a step closer. "If I die… she gets her clean slate. Whether the wedding has happened or not."

"Is there something you're not telling me Princess? Have you foreseen your own demise?" Now it was he who was suspicious.

Emma shook her head. "Hardly. I'm constantly under surveillance. But there have been threats, for her head and for mine. I would not be surprised if there are attempts in the future." She raised an eyebrow. "Do we have a deal?"

Rumplestiltskin hopped from foot to foot, seeming to consider her proposition. Finally he smiled again, this time more successful. "Deal."

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"I will not let the demon on my lands, let alone in my castle!"

Emma slammed her hands down on the table in frustration. "It is for one night! I assure you, no harm will come to me at her hands! Please, _for me_, just this one thing. I love Baelfire…" The lie rose back up in her throat like bile and she almost choked on it. "If anything, you should see this as an opportunity. You could hu…" She stumbled on her words, sick with herself. "You could throw it in her face. She believes our love would last forever… it'll bre…break her to know she was wrong."

James looked happy at the prospect, but still wary.

"We'll put spell casters all around the room. They can pretend to be guests, while instilling magical wards around the room." Snow gave James 'the look'.

Finally, he conceded. "Alright. We'll send her an invitation. Who knows if she'll even attend?"

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"White suits you." Snow dismissed the handmaids and took the laces on the back of Emma's dress, resuming the tying.

"It feels odd, all these dresses and ceremonies."

"Adjusting has been hard for you, hasn't it? I wish I could remember. I might be more help."

"Regina was always supposed to help me adjust." Emma stared at her reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror. Sidney, for that's how she'd always refer to him, was magically banned from the mirrors in the castle. Not that he'd be able to show Regina that she was alive anyway, even if he could spy on this moment. Her dress was white, with a full skirt and off the shoulder sleeves. The sparkling silver thread wound it's way around the corset type bodice in a damask type pattern. It was gorgeous, but not something she ever would have worn back in Storybrooke, even for a costume party. Regina would have understood that this wasn't her… She had been thinking this way quite often since she'd gone to see Rumplestiltskin. Her resentment for her parents always seemed to be at war with her love for them. At least she'd have tonight. If that's all she got, at least it was an opportunity to see Regina and set the record straight.

"You don't love Bae, do you?" Snow White patted her back to signify she was done tying her in.

Emma bit her lip and shook her head. "He's sweet. He'll make a good King one day."

"But you still love the Evil Queen?"

"No… I love _Regina_." Emma sat down at her vanity. "She's not the person who enacted the curse anymore."

"Evil doesn't change Emma."

Emma looked at her mother with wounded eyes. "You, of all people, could say that? Back in the time of the curse, you had more faith in people." She shook her head. "It seems everyone was a better version of themselves there."

Snow flinched, stung by the tinge of disappointment that laced Emma's tone. She turned away from her daughter, unable to face it. "She's taken so much from us, Emma, it's not easy to forgive."

"You took a lot from me… my childhood… but I forgave you, because I was able to see your reasons and the positive outcomes of your decision instead of just the negative. She had her reasons too, but you refuse to acknowledge them, and you overlook all the good that came from that curse." Emma smoothed the skirt of her dress. "She raised your grandson. She gave him a good life. I got hurt… I was in a terrible accident and she saved me… she traded her happiness so that I might live. Does that seem evil to you?"

Snow sighed. "Good and evil just aren't meant to mix."

Emma glared at her mother. "Maybe someone who's done the things you have shouldn't be so quick to label everyone."

Snow flinched again, but recovered quickly this time. She straightened out and gazed over at Emma proudly. "I will leave you to finish getting ready."

Emma sighed as her mother left the room.

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Night was falling. She'd have to make her appearance downstairs soon. She'd have to stand up in front of the 'good' residents of the Enchanted Forest and declare her love for the wrong person. It seemed like so simple a lie, but her mouth was a traitor and refused to let it glide out smoothly, despite the necessity of it. The door opened and she knew it was her handmaid, or her mother, or perhaps the page, coming to summon her. She turned, and her heart seemed to stop, dead in her chest. It was her mother, but also another woman with her. The woman wore a tight fitting crimson dress that hugged her curves in a way that avoided being too provocative, but still remained sexy. Her hair was long, wavy, and dark. It fell luxuriously past her shoulders. And her eyes spoke volumes, though the woman herself said nothing. And then, in a gloriously wonderful moment, it clicked, and her heart resumed beating. It was Regina! She had come for her.

She knew she should say something, but she could think of nothing important. "Your hair… it's so long I barely recognized you."

Regina stepped away from Snow's side. "Emma."

And that was all it took for Emma to break. She closed the distance between them in two strides and threw her arms around Regina, hugging her so hard it was as if she wanted to meld their bodies into one. "I missed you."

Regina pulled back slightly so they could look at each other. "I missed you too."

Emma melted at her words. She wished she could lean up and close the distance between their mouths, but Snow was still standing by the door.

"I'll give you two a minute."

The second the door shut behind her mother, her hands sprung into action, finding Regina's face. "This doesn't feel real, any of it." She looked around her bed chamber. "I still feel like I'm going to wake up any second; I'll be back in Boston blowing out the candle on that cupcake on my twenty-eighth birthday."

"It takes some getting used to, but in time it'll feel as if you've lived here your whole life. This place is in your blood after all."

Emma grinned. She knew Regina would know exactly what to say. She pulled the brunette close to her once more. "I'm just so glad you're here. I've been dying to see you."

Regina pulled back slightly again. Though she seemed happy, Emma could read the masked hurt in her eyes. "Emma… why did you wait so long?"

Emma pulled out of her arms. This was the hard part. How could she admit to Regina that she hadn't been strong enough to break free and find her? Regina had never tolerated weakness, and that's what she had been, weak in the face of her parents. She went back to the window and looked out at the sky. "It took forever to get him to agree to let you come tonight." She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes.

"Who?"

"My father." She finally turned back to Regina. "They don't understand it. No one remembers Storybrooke; it's as if the curse never happened. They don't know about us. The first time I mentioned your name… they thought I was crazy. They said I must have a death wish, being her daughter and asking to see you. I stole a horse one night, but I didn't make it far. It wasn't that hard to catch me." Emma turned to the window and touched the cool glass, realizing how much of a prison this place had become to her. "We're announcing my engagement tonight. It's the only reason he agreed to let you come, to rub salt in the wound."

Regina's face turned to a mask of anger in an instant. "To who? You've only been here a couple months. They can't be serious! I'm going to speak with him!"

Emma panicked and grabbed Regina's arm to stop her. "Please don't. It took forever for him to agree to let you come. I need you here, to help me get through this night. Please."

Regina's anger fizzled down to hurt. "Emma, it was supposed to be us, you and me."

She couldn't hold it back anymore. She leaned up until her lips met Regina's. "I warned you that people like us don't get happy endings."

Her mother intruded upon their peace before Regina could comment. "It's time."

No, it couldn't be. This wasn't enough. Forever was all that would ever be adequate. "I'll be out in one moment."

Snow departed with a nod.

"Please stay. Promise me you'll stay."

"I promise." Regina's hand slipped behind her neck and drew their mouths once more together. There was a passion in the embrace that Emma had almost forgotten. It surged through her, filling her up. Her entire body seemed to stop all other function and put all its energy towards this once action.

And then, it was over. As Regina pulled away, Emma let a hand come up to touch her face, that beautiful face that she wished she could imprint on her memory forever. She wanted to remember Regina just this way. "You're exactly as I remembered you… well, except for the hair. But perfect all the same." Reluctantly, she let her hand drop and disappeared out the door before her legs could object.


	40. Still Got Tonight

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: so, here it is, the ball as well as the final installment of the emma flashbacks. next chapter we return to the present and the acquisition of belle. stay tuned. as i put in my update for oneiremeno, my mother broke my finger, so it may be awhile before another update. enjoy and review.

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"Did she show?" James raised a questioning brow as his wife and daughter entered the private council chambers behind the dais where they were waiting to be announced. Neither woman could tell if he'd be more apprehensive with a yes or a no.

Snow nodded. "She's here."

James's face became tight. Obviously a no would have been his preferred response. "I see."

Bae grabbed Emma's arm and directed her away from her parents. "You look lovely tonight Princess."

She glanced over her shoulder to where some of the anxiety left her father's face at seeing them together. "Thanks."

"So, she's here?"

Emma nodded. "Yes. I was afraid she wouldn't show. But… she's just as she was. It's like being in a room full of strangers, and then you see that one familiar face and it grounds you." She smiled. "What about Diana?"

Bae shook his head. "I asked her not to come. It's too dangerous for her here. If we were found together…" He shook his head sadly. "It is better that she move on. I don't want all this to reach her. She is innocent."

Emma put a hand on his shoulder. "She also loves you."

"And you love Regina... enough to do this."

"It is _for_ Regina that I do this."

Bae nodded. "Just as it is for Diana that I play my part."

Emma was about to argue when she heard the page announce their names to the waiting party guests. They walked out amid cheers from the crowd. But Emma could care less about the other guests. Her eyes raked the room, searching for that one face in a sea full of strangers that would ground her. And finally, she found it. Regina's eyes locked on her own and Emma felt her heart lift. She tried to speak to Regina though only her gaze, to tell her that she loved her and wanted nothing more than to fall into her arms and they'd run from this place. She knew Regina would do it in an instant. All she had to do was ask. And then she felt Bae's hand slip into hers. She hadn't even heard him announced, and even as she felt the weight of his hand clutching hers, reminding her of her choice, she couldn't take her eyes away from Regina.

Bae's breath was on her ear as he leaned in close. "She's _exquisite_ Princess. I can see why you've fallen so hard."

Emma grinned and glanced fondly up at Bae. He had become a quick friend the moment they both realized they were giving up their true loves to be together.

Her eyes had a conversation with Regina's all throughout her father's speech, none of which she heard, and the second she had freedom of movement, she was off, pushing through the crowd so fast that no one dared to stop her.

The second she was next to her, the brunette's eyebrow shot up questioningly. "You're marrying him?"

"I know. He's sweet, but... he's not you. I wish I had a choice." She glanced over at Bae, knowing he was wishing the same thing.

"Will you dance with me, Miss Swan?"

Emma wanted to laugh and cry all at once. Again, Regina had known the exact right thing to say. She'd been missing Storybrooke so much, that just the mention of her old title filled her heart with glee. She nodded and let her hand rest in the one Regina had proffered. She let herself be led to the middle of the floor, ignoring all the eyes that watched them with contempt. It didn't matter now, not here, not in this moment. All that mattered was Regina. She wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck. Regina's hands found her waist and pulled her close. Emma didn't care that their intimacy was glaringly apparent. It didn't matter. This may be her last chance to feel these arms around her and she wasn't going to let public opinion keep her from this. Especially since that opinion would change soon.

"I forgot how good being in your arms felt." Emma nuzzled Regina's neck.

"Then stay in them forever, Emma."

Emma looked into Regina's eyes. "If only I could." She felt the tears behind her eyes but she refused to cry. She would not ruin their last moments together.

Regina leaned in close until her mouth was an inch from Emma's ear. "We can run away from here Emma. I will take you away and I will protect you. I'd do whatever it takes to make you safe, and happy."

Emma smiled, burying her face in Regina's neck. She closed her eyes, memorizing everything, her smell, the feel of her skin, the rush of breath traveling up from her lungs as she exhaled. "I know you would."

They continued to spin around the dance floor, not saying much, but their silence was so loaded it might as well have been its own conversation.

"May I cut in?"

Emma watched, helpless as Bae nudged Regina aside and pulled her away across the dance floor. She could see Regina's anger. It was unfortunate, but necessary.

"You ready?" Bae whispered.

Emma nodded, smiling at him. "If I never see you again, thanks, and good luck." She turned and ran back towards Regina. She grabbed the woman's arms and whirled her around so that her own back was left vulnerable to the arrow. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. It was a brief pinch and then a burning that seared through her torso and wouldn't go away. Regina's eyes were wide when she looked up into the brunette's face and her hand automatically went up to her cheek to tell her not to worry. She felt her legs give out and she slipped towards the cold embrace of the floor. Regina's arms held her up for several moments before the older woman succumbed to the dead weight and fell with her. She settled comfortably in her lap. Bae came forward.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Emma managed a small smile at how lethal Regina sounded and how scared Bae looked. That was her girl, always using her tone to her advantage.

"I have to take the arrow out, okay? You're going to be fine." Emma heard the snap of wood as she broke the head off. "I have to pull the shaft out. It's going to be painful."

Emma nodded. "I trust you."

The pain was blinding and excruciating. For a moment, her vision blurred to white and she wondered if this was the light everyone told you to walk towards. But her own scream still filled her ears and she didn't believe people on their way to the afterlife would be screaming so loud. Finally, her vision cleared, but now, it felt as if someone had shut off her lungs. Why couldn't she inhale properly? And it occurred to her she was dying. She had known she would of course. She had just hoped it would be swift. This was more than she was expecting.

A roaring filled her ears and then everything seemed to fall into slow motion. The world seemed to blur around the edges. The only thing she saw clearly was Regina. "I love you."

"You will not die, do you hear me Miss Swan? I demand that you live."

Of course she would try and take control, even here, even now, she would try and dictate what happened next in a story she wasn't writing. Emma chuckled, but the lack of air caused her to cough instead, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Emma, I'm going to try my best to heal you. It's going to hurt."

She saw a desperation in Regina's eyes, so she didn't object. She felt nothing for a moment and then a white hot poker was shoved somewhere near her ribs, or at least that's what it felt like. She couldn't help her thrashing.

Bae said something to Regina that Emma didn't catch, but the threatening look in Regina's eyes told her it wasn't something she'd liked. She felt Regina lift her as the brunette stood.

"Regina…"

Regina's attention was only for her, just the way she liked it. "What darling?"

Emma was about to spill it, about to whisper for only them to hear that she'd put the kill order in the hollow, that she'd delivered her own death by giving the assassins the poison tipped arrow, that this was all part of a grander plan. Everything in her wished to take whatever fear and emotional pain Regina was feeling and banish it. But then she felt the magic take hold. The escape clause. It was enacting. The air parted outwards from her body in a silent boom and she felt a deep relief knowing that, no matter what, Regina would have her fresh start. Life would be better for her, and that was something Emma was okay dying for. "All magic comes at a cost."

And the last thing she saw as she slipped into darkness, was Regina's face.


	41. Trade Mistakes

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: since my finger is healing ahead of schedule, i decided to update. still not fully healed so i can only update the stories i already have update ready for. luckily i have a couple more for this one. thanks to all the readers and reviewers, you guys make me smile. enjoy and review.

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"If we don't approach this cautiously, we may all be killed." Regina slid silently off her horse.

They were in the trees just to the east of her castle, or what had formerly been her castle. Guards still patrolled the grounds, but not on her orders. She hadn't been here in quite some time. She had actually expected to find the place abandoned, or left to ruin by a fight for power between her guards. But it was exactly as she had left it; it had been well maintained in her absence.

"If my wards are still up, they'll recognize me and we'll be able to slip in undetected, grab Belle, and leave. But I highly doubt they are. Whoever has… _moved in_, has almost certainly changed them by now."

"So what do you propose we do?" Baelfire crouched near her, peeking through the trees at the guards standing watch by the gate.

"A distraction. We need to divert the attention of the guards by the gate. I need to magically disable whatever wards have been put up around the castle."

Baelfire nodded. "Leave that to me." He slunk off through the foliage and out of sight. A few minutes later there was an a thundering crack that caught the attention of the guards. After a moment's hesitation, the two men finally went off to see what had caused the noise.

Regina magically probed the defenses of the castle, amazed to find that they were meager at best. She was able to dispel the wards rather easily. Whoever had taken her position was either poor in their magical abilities or arrogant that they wouldn't be challenged. She was leaning towards the latter. She used the trees for cover, erring on the side of caution, until she could no longer depend on their shelter. She snuck through the gate and across the inner courtyard unaccosted. It wouldn't do to burst through the main entrance. She wasn't trying to reclaim her throne, merely removing a prisoner she'd captured ages ago. She snuck around to the servant's entrance and entered the castle without seeing single person. The quiet didn't strike her as odd until it was too late. She was halfway down the corridor leading towards the entrance to the dungeons when the magic griped her. It was a tingle she recognized.

"Hello Maleficent." She struggled against her invisible bonds and finally managed to turn to face the woman who was holding her captive.

Maleficent looked much as she always had, her deep pink cloak covering her like the robe of a holy woman. Her curls framed her face wildly, but somehow the affect was sweet; it always was with her. She was someone you _wanted_ to trust. She didn't look threatening in the least. But under her deceptive exterior lay one of the most pretentious, narcissistic, and self involved people Regina had ever met.

Maleficent raised an eyebrow. "Well, darling, you obviously know me, but I'm afraid you've slipped my memory."

"What are you doing out of the Forbidden Fortress?"

Maleficent's eyes narrowed an almost imperceptible amount. That had caught her off guard. So, obviously, she'd been affected by the magic just like everyone else. "I'm not impartial to the isolated locale and the less than satisfactory weather. I much prefer a more… temperate climate."

"So, you deemed it appropriate to take over a castle that doesn't belong to you?"

"This castle had been abandoned for years! I was merely taking what someone had discarded long ago. It is quite a beautiful piece of architecture, I must say. Fool is the one who let it go to waste." Maleficent's eyes scanned the walls fondly and then came back to rest on Regina. "Who are you? And why the _suicide_ mission?"

"You won't kill me."

"Is that so?" Now Maleficent seemed intrigued by Regina's boldness. Good. That would only work in the former Evil Queen's favor.

"You enjoy your playthings too much."

Maleficent didn't loosen the bonds around Regina but she did step forward, stepping up to the very edge of Regina's space without entering into it. "Would you like me to… _play_, with you?"

Regina smirked. If this were before the curse, she may have been tempted. She'd never crossed that particular line in the course of her friendship, but the flirting had always been present in their conversations and there had been times where the proposition was not far from her lips. But she never gave in then, and she most certainly wouldn't now. To have any hands but Emma's touching her was a betrayal that made her stomach turn to even think of. "Perhaps another time. However, I do have something you desire."

Maleficent seemed deflated that their affair was over before it had even begun, but luckily she seemed willing to hear Regina out. "How could you know what I desire?"

Regina ignored the question. "A long time ago, someone stole something from you, or rather, something from someone you loved. You don't remember who took it, or why, but you know it's here."

Maleficent's eyes flashed dangerously. "You know where it is then? Tell me or I will end you!"

Regina chuckled dryly. "Patience, dear, all in good time. There is something I seek here as well."

Maleficent's nostrils flared. Unlike Regina, who had learned many times over that good things come to those who wait, patience had never been one of Maleficent's virtues. "You are in no position to bargain here!"

Regina nodded slowly. "Fine, by all means, kill me. But you could search this castle for years and never find what you seek."

She smirked as she saw the internal war rage inside Maleficent, and it grew even wider when she saw that she'd won. Maleficent banished the invisible bonds with a wave of her hand.

Regina rolled her neck and shoulders, loosening up her stiff muscles. "I seek a prisoner. I'm sure she was here when you acquired the place."

Maleficent frowned. "All the prisoners were killed."

Regina shook her head. "Impossible. This particular prisoner is magically sealed in her cell."

Maleficent forgot her anger at having been just bested and looked intrigued again. "You've come for _her_?"

"I get to take the girl and be on my way in exchange for giving you what you've been searching for."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow. "The heart for your freedom and the girl?"

Regina gave a confirmation nod. "A fair trade."

Maleficent acquiesced with an incline of her head. "I suppose. Very well, you have a deal. Come, let us go fetch your girl."


	42. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: this was originally going to be a little longer, so i do apologize for the short length, but the second half was better suited for the next chapter. that being said, i kind of made maleficent somewhat... well, she's kind of selfish. but i like that. i hope you do too. more to come. we're on the final stretch here people. this should be finished before the finale, if not within the next week. enjoy and review.

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Belle looked small in the back corner of her prison where she was huddled. Her blue dress was in tatters and so dirty it had almost gone grey. Her hair was a ratted mess and she looked for all the world as if hope had ceased to exist. Regina felt a pang in her chest. She had wanted this. Her primary concern when taking the girl captive had been, of course, to have an unseen advantage over Rumplestiltskin, but she had also desired to crush the girl's fierce spirit. In some ways, Belle reminded her of Emma, though the brunette girl was quite a bit more subdued than Emma Swan had ever been.

Regina placed her palm over the stone door, which had no handle and no lock. She muttered a few words under her breath and the cell door popped open.

Either Belle didn't register the sound enough to look up, or her mind had departed around the same time as her hope.

"Belle?" Regina approached the girl, crouching down to her level. She knew the girl could leap forward and easily attack her but it was a risk she was willing to take. It was the only way she could think to get through to the girl. She put a hand under Belle's chin and lifted her face until glassed over, hazel eyes were forced to meet her own. There was no fear, no recognition, and only the barest traces of life there. "Belle dear, I've come to take you from this place."

The younger brunette didn't respond. Nothing changed in her expression, nothing registered; she had become a shell, nothing more.

"You might as well give up darling; I think this one's a lost cause. Poor wretch. It would have been better had we been able to dispose of her."

Maleficent didn't notice it, absorbed in herself as usual, but Regina saw it. It wasn't much, just the tiniest flinch of the muscle in Belle's right wrist at Maleficent's words. She may be lost somewhere in her own mind, but in that moment, Regina knew the girl was in there somewhere, buried away to keep herself safe. She reached down and grabbed the girl's hand, pulling her up with her. "Everything will be alright, dear, you'll see." She smoothed down Belle's hair and led her from the cell, followed out of the chamber by a look of sheer disgust on Maleficent's face.

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They deposited Belle into the care of the servants, who set to work washing her and making her appear to be a little more human. Then Maleficent led her to the room that had once been her parlour. The sight of the room gave her pause. It was nothing as it had looked in her care. Everything was in the purples and pinks that Maleficent favoured. There was a plethora of lounge chairs, meant to lay back and relax rather than to truly entertain company. Nearly nude slaves were posted next to a throne like chair near the barren fireplace, a woman on the left, a man on the right.

Maleficent snapped her fingers and the male rushed forward, clad only in a small cloth over his private region, and removed her cloak to reveal a lavender dress. She fell down on her throne-like chair with a sigh and held out her arm to the female slave. The girl poured lotion from a small bottle into her hands and began to massage the length of her old friend's limb. Maleficent watched her watch the girl. She too only had a cloth covering the area below her waist; her chest had been left bare. Regina felt no pang of desire for the frail servant girl, merely a small pain of loss. It just reminded her of her endgame, of her desire to do whatever it took to get her beloved back, even negotiating with the dark side.

Maleficent gripped the servant's wrist and pulled down hard until the girl came down to her level. She brought her mouth to the woman's and the hand that hadn't seized the wrist gripped her right breast with just as much force. The female knew better than to let her obvious discomfort show on her face in her master's presence, but Regina could read it in her body language. Finally, Maleficent pulled away and looked at Regina, lust fringing the edge of her gaze. "Care to rethink your earlier refusal?"

"Tempting… but no." Regina tried to hide her annoyance.

Maleficent frowned and shoved the servant away as if she were to blame. "Very well." She got up. "Show me where it's hidden."

Regina turned and pointed at a blank stone wall at the far side of the parlour.

Maleficent scoffed. "I have magically torn apart this entire room. There's nothing here."

Regina grinned like a predatory cat. "The person who hid them knew the limitations of your magic better than you do, dear. It's what made her such an impeccable leader." She crossed over to the wall. She hit a rapid and seemingly random succession of stones and the wall seemed to melt away until there was nothing but an empty alcove that opened up into a chamber lit dimly by torches on the other side. She strode in without hesitation, knowing Maleficent would follow right behind.

The chamber was a good size. It had to be to accommodate the wall to wall vault. To the outside observer, the walls might appear to just be tiled. The squares lined up perfectly, row after row, smooth polished surfaces with no key hole.

"Let's see." She reached out a hand cautiously and slid it across the surfaces of the squares. Her head lit up with a symphony of pulses until she stopped at one, sixth row, fifth box from the left. "Heartbeats are like a signature, unique to a person." She glanced at Maleficent with a grin that bordered on threatening. "I never forget a heartbeat."

With a wave of her hand, the square slid out from the wall. She reached into the small drawer and removed the box. She clutched it fondly, for just a moment letting her mind drift back to that dark place. Then, as if pushing the memory away, she thrust the box into Maleficent's hands. "As promised, the heart of Princess Aurora."


	43. If I Die Young

DISCLAIMER:: do not own. unfortunately for me.

A/N:: sorry this update was so delayed. been on vacation and without my laptop. but i'm back now. only a few more chapters left. i'm not really satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but it is what it is and it serves its purpose. enjoy and review.

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The hand in hers was still limp in her grasp. It wasn't the grip of someone who cared where you were leading them, whether it be to salvation or death. Maleficent had stayed true to her word, not that she really would have had a choice. Regina's powers were far superior, especially when she was pushing towards a goal. She had let Regina and Belle go without a fight. She'd send guards to follow them and report back to her on their activities of course, but for now, she would keep her distance. Regina could care less. The only thing that remained of any importance was the need to have Emma back in her arms.

"You did it." Baelfire seemed thoroughly surprised. He walked slowly around the pair of women, staring at them in wonder.

Regina shrugged. "My old friends are rather easy to manipulate when they no longer retain memories of who I am."

"Belle."

Both Baelfire and Regina looked up at the softly spoken words. It was the most human Regina had ever seen Rumpelstiltskin get. He sat astride his horse on the road, his face twisted into something between pain and disbelief. He had thought the woman he loved long dead; it truly must be a shock to him to see her alive.

For her part, Belle registered nothing. Regina didn't even feel the presence of spirit she had felt back in the cell. There was no flicker in her eyes, no twitch in her jaw. She just stared blankly ahead down the road as if waiting for something.

Rumpelstiltskin slid off his horse and walked over to the woman standing next to Regina. He stared into her face, searching the void of her eyes. "What have you done to her?"

"Captivity has done this to her."

He stepped threateningly up to Regina. "And who took her captive?"

Regina narrowed her eyes. "Our deal only stated that I return her to you; you never specified in what condition she was to be in."

There was murder and loathing in his eyes. He wanted to kill her, but he had made a deal with her and he never broke his deals. "Fine. So be it. You wish to play with the omissions of our contract, then I will as well. My end of the deal was that I tell you how to bring the Princess back into your life, but you never specified _when_."

Regina's eyes shot open in shock. "You will tell me how to get Emma back!"

Rumpel gave a jovial nod of his head, elated that he once again had retained the upper hand. "I will, someday."

And just like that Regina knew she had no more options left to her. So, as Graham had instructed, she pushed over the first domino with an imperceptible nod of her head. "We have been through much Rumpelstiltskin. Without you I don't think Emma would have entered my life quite the way she did. She would be Snow White's child, another thing to be despised and disposed of. Or, possibly worse, I would have taken her for my own. Either way, I never would have known the depth of true love. For that, for creating the curse, I must thank you. It's what makes **this** so hard."

Rumpel had a moment to give her a puzzled expression before his features twisted in agony at the pain and anger at the realization that this had all been a trick. He'd been bested. Stumbling, he turned to face his son, who was holding up the long and bloody dagger. "Bae?"

Baelfire stared at the dagger in shock, amazed at his own fortitude to do what he'd promised the leader of the Green Cloaks he would, to kill his father. His shocked eyes finally slid to his father. "I'm sorry. I had to save you. This power was never meant to be yours. You took it to save me; now it's my turn to save you." He, with only a brief hesitation, slid the dagger back once more into the grey-green skinned man.

It didn't take Rumpelstiltskin long to die. Regina stared at the man as he spluttered, clutching at his wounds. His eyes were glassing over and they drifted helplessly between the three people around him. Finally, in his last moment of life, he smiled as if this had been his plan all along.

The blade of the dagger in Baelfire's fist shimmered as Rumpelstiltskin's name disappeared, replaced immediately by the name of his son. Baelfire looked up from the blade at her, sad determination on his face. He dropped it to the ground as if it disgusted him. "You'll bury him, won't you?"

Regina nodded. "You didn't have to do this, you know. We could have contained him in his cell for as long as was necessary."

Baelfire reached into his pocket and removed a small vial. "We both know he would have negotiated his release from some desperate soul. It was just a matter of time. After all those years in Storybrooke, he got used to being free. He would not have tolerated captivity for long."

She couldn't argue with him. So instead she watched as he gave one final glance down to his father's body before he uncorked the vial, put it to his lips, and downed its contents. He fell down next to his father and a minute later, he too had succumbed to his fate, a boy destined to pay the price for his father's crimes.

Regina's eyes slipped to Belle. The girl was staring at the bodies. Her eyes and face betrayed no emotion, but she was shaking.

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They buried Rumpelstiltskin and his son by a riverbed about three leagues to the south. It was a pretty area, though maybe not their first choice, it was all she could manage for them. She had broken the dagger in two and buried half with each. Finally, she sealed the graves and left them to rest in peace.

"You can come with me you know. You could live in the palace." She brushed a strand of Belle's hair behind and ear. "It's the least I can do after locking you away."

Belle looked at her and she saw a brief flicker somewhere in the back of her eyes. She was in there somewhere. Belle shook her head. She sat down on Rumpelstiltskin's grave and no matter how much the former Evil Queen urged her to move, to come with her, Belle wouldn't budge. It seems she too had resigned herself to her fate.

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She was nearly halfway back to the palace when his horse appeared beside hers.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"And I was beginning to think you'd switched sides." He glanced at her.

Regina frowned. "I was merely playing my part, as was requested of me."

Graham grinned. "You always were one hell of an actress Regina."

Regina bristled. She was through with this small talk. She was through with all of it. "I do recall we had a deal. It's time to pay up."

Graham's jaw worked. "The Princess is alive."

Regina's heart leapt up into her throat. "But I saw her die!"

Graham shook his head. "It's complicated, but I swear to you, Emma _is_ alive."

"Where do I find her? How do I bring her back to me?"

Graham sighed. "I don't know. I gave her a vial. It contains a powerful spell. She was supposed to wear it on a chain around her neck but it wasn't with her when she died. Without that vial, you can't reach her."

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Regina had expected the cold reception. It would have gotten out that she aided in the escape of Rumpelstiltskin. Upon arriving at the palace, she was immediately seized and taken before the King and Queen in the throne room.

"Why Regina?" Snow looked devastated.

"I never meant to betray your trust. But my actions weren't without good reason."

"What reason could possibly justify setting that monster free?" James looked as if he was about to blow his lid.

"Rumpelstiltskin is dead, as is Baelfire. He sacrificed himself to see it done. In exchange for my part in his demise, I've been given information about Emma."

Snow sat forward in her chair. "What information about Emma? Emma is… she's **gone** Regina. You can't bring back the dead."

"Emma isn't dead, and now, I know exactly how to find her."


	44. If You Ever Come Back

DISCLAIMER:: do not own. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.

A/N:: sorry for the long update. the next one is almost finished and i'll post right when it's done. until then, enjoy and review.

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Regina paced her room restlessly, turning the vial over and over in her hands. It had been meant for her, left to be found. But why? If this had been the key all along and it had been in Emma's possession, why had she not seen fit to use it? Why had she left it for Regina? She supposed it was all part of Emma's master plan.

The knock at the door was soft but it seemed deafening to the brunette's ears. She crossed the room and threw it open, relieved to see the young Princess-to-be standing there. "Peyton."

"You called for me."

"Yes, dear, come in." Regina ushered the girl into the room and closed the door behind her. She turned to the younger woman. "I need your help. I could ask Henry, but I fear he will think it his fault if my plan does not work as expected."

Peyton looked intrigued. "What plan?"

"The Exiled Wolf has assured me Princess Emma is alive. It's a complicated spell; it takes a great deal of magic. I do not know where he got the power, but I do believe if anyone could have managed to do it successfully, he could."

"What spell?"

Regina paced the room. "It's a very old spell, one that can separate a soul from it's body for a span of time. If worked correctly, it can keep someone alive even through a fatal attack. There are very few magical individuals who even know of it and the other Spells of Prudence, and even fewer who possess the power to enact it."

"But you believe the Exiled Wolf has done so?"

Regina nodded. "If I'm right, I know where to find Emma. I don't know how long I will be gone. It could be hours, it could be months. I don't want Henry believing I'll rescue the Princess if I'm not even sure she's there."

Peyton nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

Regina raced over to her desk. She grabbed the blank paper that had been hidden with the vial. Turning, she held it out to Peyton. "The spell, the incantation you use to make the assassination orders appear… can you try it on this?"

Peyton held out a delicate hand and took the paper. She looked at the blank page. "It's not one of ours, but it's possible, if whoever left this for you to find it knew ours ways, he or she could have enchanted it." She took a deep breath and focused on the blank parchment, her eyes like lazers. She began to mumble words that Regina didn't recognize. Once the incantation was complete, both women stared expectantly at the paper. Nothing happened.

Regina let out a cry of frustration. She'd tried everything she knew to get something to appear. "I guess it is just but paper."

Peyton shook her head. "I don't think so. Maybe if I taught you the spell? It could be the correct spell, but there are times, when a job is meant for a specific member of our order, for the enchantment to be… _modified_, voice encoded. It'll only respond to that one to which it was meant for."

Regina nodded. It was worth a try. She had no other options left her.

Peyton spent the next fifteen minutes teaching her the spell. It was apparent to her that this was taking a great deal of trust on the young woman's part and she gained an improved measure of respect for the girl who was to be her daughter in law.

Peyton passed her the parchment. "Are you ready?"

Regina felt her stomach twist in knots. Was she ready to have Emma back? Of course. But was she ready to face the consequences if this didn't work? She wasn't so sure. But she needed to try, for Emma. She looked at the young woman and nodded.

Peyton smiled. "For Emma."

"For Emma."

Regina concentrated on the parchment in her hands, willing the words to appear as she recited the spell. For a moment after she'd stopped, nothing happened, then, very slowly, ink started to seep onto the page, swirling until it formed familiar and recognizable shapes. She'd done it, and in her hands was the way to get Emma back.

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"Are you sure you can do this?" Snow paced her bed chamber in front of her.

Regina shook her head. "No." She sighed. "The spell went wrong for Emma. The arrow wasn't covered in poison, it was covered in the potion from this vial. But she must have received an incorrect dose. Her soul was never supposed to end up in Terra dos Imortais."

"Are you sure the same won't happen to you?"

Regina again shook her head. "No. That's why I need you here and Peyton." She nodded towards the girl in the corner.

"Why?"

Regina sighed. "Peyton because she's the only one who can find the Exiled Wolf and he's the only one with enough power to pull me out of this. And you… you're my bloodlink to Emma. Her blood is in your veins, yours is in hers. We'll need you to get back."

Snow nodded. "Just tell me what I need to do."

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"I've been working with a spell caster trying to restore my memories."

Regina smiled at her son. He had grown up so much from the little boy they'd put into the wardrobe.

"Peyton tells me you are going to rescue the Princess."

"I am going to try."

Henry nodded. "When you both return, if nothing has come from the spell caster's efforts, I'd enjoy hearing about that place."

Regina smiled. "And I will enjoy telling you."

A knock sounded at the door and Henry went to open it as he left. "Good luck Lady Regina." He nodded to his grandmother as she passed him on his way out of the room.

"Are you ready?" Snow looked at Regina, who was staring out the window to the grave by the sea.

Regina nodded. "I've been ready to see Emma for a long time." She looked behind the woman who had once been her enemy. "Where's Peyton?"

As if summoned by the question, the girl appeared in the doorway and closed it behind herself. "The preparations are complete."

Regina nodded and took a deep breath. "The time has come then." She moved over to the bed and sat upon it. Her eyes went to Snow. "You know what to do?"

Snow nodded. "I do."

"And you?" Regina looked at the young sorceress.

Peyton nodded.

"Very well. As always, my wish, should I fail, is to be buried beside the Princess. My place has always been with her."

Snow nodded.

Regina turned the potion over in her hands before she unstopped the vial. She didn't want to run the risk of going to Terra dos Imortais, so she would consume all that remained. She closed her eyes. She'd only get one shot at this. She just hope she'd pick correctly. Her mind recalled Storybrooke as it had been in the days between Emma Swan's arrival into her life and the day the curse broke. She remembered the moments she'd been the happiest she'd ever been in her entire existence. She felt tears slip down her cheeks but she ignored them. The desire to go back to the place she was happiest overwhelmed her senses and she drank the potion. Then, everything went dark.

When Regina once again was able to open her eyes, she found herself lying on hot ground, the sun shining down on her. She sat up and looked around her. A road stretched away from her and there was nothing to either side but trees and a sign that read _Welcome to Storybrooke_.


	45. There You'll Be

DISCLAIMER:: do not own. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.

A/N:: sorry this took so long. this is the seventh time i've rewritten this conclusion. i invested so much time in this story that i wanted to end it right and i hope i've done that. i really love how it turned out. and i'm not gonna lie, i kinda sorta cried (we're talking wailing/sobbing) for hours while writing this. there were celine dion and reba mcentire songs involved... it was **not** pretty. anyways, drop me a review and let me know what you think. enjoy and thanks for staying with me on this crazy ride. my readers are love.

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She stood in the street where forest suddenly broke way into the little sleepy town that she had called home for thirty years. It had changed little in her absence. It still appeared just as they'd left it, as if waiting for her to come back. She wondered briefly how people in this world explained the sudden abandonment of a town by all its citizens. Mass exodus had been a part of history before, but to leave everything behind? There were traces of the lives that had been lived here everywhere, but no sign of those that had lived them.

She stopped in front of an old familiar building. _Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop_. The sign in the front door told her the shop was closed. As she peered through the front door, she took note that most of the items he'd collected over the years were gone. It seems they too had returned to the old world when the curse broke. Everything had gone back to its proper place. All that remained in the shop were the items he'd acquired after coming to this world, pointless knick knacks from the fake lives lived in this town for all those years. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and continued on.

Next she came to a stop in front of the diner. The handmade signs advertising the current specials still hung in the windows. She walked up to the door and tried it. It was unlocked. She went inside and looked around the place where she had spent so many of her days, first by herself, then with Henry, and finally with Miss Swan. She walked over to their usual booth and sat down, running her hand fondly across the aged and chipped surface of the diner table. She looked towards the counter and could almost see Ruby flouncing around behind it, apron folded over and tied around her waist, white t-shirt barely managing to cover her cleavage and offering up a sliver of stomach to the eyes of the patrons. Her hair would be a wild mess, but somehow it worked for her, her cheeky grin permanently affixed to her face. Regina missed the easiness of this place. She sighed and got up. She was here for a reason, and it wasn't to reminisce.

She exited the diner and walked the couple blocks to the schoolteacher's apartment on autopilot. It was as good a place to start as any.

She stepped up to the door and raised her hand to knock, but immediately dropped it. She tried the knob and was unsurprised to find it unlocked. The empty little loft apartment greeted her. She glanced around. Would Emma have returned here? She would have gone someplace familiar, surely? "Emma?"

There was no answer. Just silence. Emma wasn't there.

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The station seemed just as cold and empty as the rest of the buildings in town. But there was a difference here. She saw traces of Emma Swan here. She stood in the doorway of the small office that had belonged to the blonde when she was the voice of the law in Storybrooke. Regina smiled to herself. All in all, Emma had been a good sheriff, when Regina had let her. She looked to the empty deputy's desk across the room where Emma had first made a name for herself here.

_Regina eyed her warily. "Why'd you do it?"_

_Emma smiled. "Kiss you?"_

_Regina nodded. "Was it just to mess with me?"_

_"Because I wanted to."_

_The two women stared at each other for several drawn out moments._

_She looked away from the younger woman. "What am I doing here?"_

_She had said it more to herself than to Emma, but the sheriff answered regardless. "You don't want to feel alone anymore."_

_Emma's finger traced Regina's bottom lip lightly and she took a chance at a connection and leaned in, kissing her dizzily._

Regina closed her eyes against the memory, tears pooling at the sides, threatening to fall. It just reminded her, once again, of why she was here.

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108 Mifflin Street. The white house seemed somehow less imposing now than it had all the years in which she'd occupied it. Now it was merely an empty house in an abandoned town. She cautiously opened the front gate and walked up the pristine walkway. The house watched her with empty eyes. Despite having spent over half her life in the other realm, somehow this still felt like home. Her happiest memories were spent in this house. This was the first place she'd ever truly touched Emma, ever been kissed by her and kissed back. It was the place she'd raised their son. How could it _not_ be home?

She reached into the little hidden space behind one of the shutters and retrieved the key she already knew would still be there. She unlocked the front door and opened it, going inside. Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected to feel this way coming back here. She saw the pictures on the foyer table, a couple of Henry, one with her and Emma. She put a hand to her mouth to hold back the sob. Her reason for being here was the only thing that kept her knees from going out from under her.

"Emma?"

Silence answered her.

She migrated through the rooms, memories assaulting her with each step. Walking through her former home was like exploring her history. She felt her connection to this place with every breath. It was a temple to the life she'd created here, the only life that had ever mattered.

She ran her hand over the closed door to her bedroom, the last room she had left to check, and in many ways, the most sacred. It was the room in which her love had redeemed her. In this room, she and Emma had fallen into each other, they had become something more than the two lonely beings they'd been before they'd found each other. Her hand lingered on the handle, before she took a deep breath and opened it.

The first thing she noticed was the smell, so distinctly Emma that it made her cry out. The bed was unmade, recently slept in. Her heart wrenched. Emma had been here. It had to have been Emma. She stumbled over to the bed and sat heavily upon it. She grabbed the pillow and clutched it to her chest, burying her face in it. One inhale and the scent of Emma filled her nostrils. She was alive; she was **here**.

Still clutching the pillow, she walked to the window and looked down at her prized apple tree. The jagged stump of a branch where Emma had once taken a chainsaw to it in anger. Where once she had thought it an atrocity, a blemish on an otherwise perfect thing, now she couldn't even remember how it'd looked before. The damage, once unsightly, now was so much a part of the tree. And that was exactly how Emma Swan had always been in her life.

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She had tried to wait, but she'd grown restless after an hour. She decided to be proactive and go find Emma herself, if she had indeed stayed in Storybrooke. She could have left a few days ago, tired of waiting for Regina to come for her.

She hadn't intended to end up at City Hall. Emma wouldn't be here, of that she was sure. But her legs had brought her here of their own accord. She stared around her office, so cold and impersonal, a reminder of the person she was before Emma Swan. She wasn't the person who'd been so comfortable behind that desk anymore. Emma had changed her. Love had changed her.

Her heart gave a painful lurch. She wanted Emma. She wanted to touch her. Hadn't it been long enough already? She wasn't at the station, she wasn't at Granny's, she wasn't at Mary Margaret's, she wasn't home…. Where else would she go? And then the answer came to her, plain as day. Of course.

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_"So this is Henry's castle?" Regina eyed the shamble of a playground, well, what had once been a playground. It was discreet, on the very outskirts of the harbor. No one would come over here. Smart boy._

_Emma climbed up and held her hand down to help Regina up._

_Regina shook her head. "It looks about to collapse."_

_Emma rolled her eyes. "We're facing the impending apocalypse and you're worried about the stability of old playground equipment?"_

_Regina grabbed her hand. "Point taken."_

_Emma sat down facing the ocean as she had many a time with Henry. Regina lowered herself down next to the blonde._

_"He'd be mad if he knew you'd given up his secret, especially to me."_

_Emma frowned. "I have a feeling he'll forgive me." She glanced at Regina. "I love it here. If I'm facing the end, I'd like it to be here, on my terms."_

She stood at the edge of the overgrown parking lot, staring out at the rickety old playground. It looked just as unstable as ever, stoic and unchanged in the absence of the curse just as the rest of the town was.

She was there, her blonde waves blowing in the wind coming in off the harbour. She was looking to the water as if it would deliver to her all the answers she sought. She looked just as she had the day Regina met her, right down to the awful red jacket that Regina had come to love because it was just so _Emma_.

She walked slowly along the back of the small playground, the blonde still oblivious to her presence. Another breeze blew off the harbour, blowing Emma's scent to her and her knees threatened to collapse underneath her. She stopped just short of the playground castle. What should she say? After all this time apart, all this searching… now she found what she'd been looking for and she felt tongue tied. So she said the first thing that came to her mind. "I thought I **burned** that awful jacket."

The blonde tensed, her back going rigid. Slowly, Emma turned, crossing her arms and regarding Regina warily. "If you had, you wouldn't be here now, you'd be _dead_."

"Is that so?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

Emma nodded. "I love this jacket. It's what I was wearing when I met you."

Regina smiled. She couldn't argue with that. "I came for you."

Emma smiled, tears brimming her eyes. "I knew you would." She walked over to the stairs and stepped down, coming around the weather worn wooden structure until she was standing face to face with the brunette. And she looked perfect, the exact being from Regina's fondest memories. "I waited for you."

Regina couldn't stop her own tears from streaming out the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up."

Emma shrugged, wiping her own tears away. "I would have waited forever."

Regina took a step forward. She reached out, her fingers hovering inches from the blonde's cheek. "Emma…"

Emma took a step forward into the caress, shivering as the brunette's fingers made contact with her skin. Her green eyes brightened at the contact, as if she had believed it a dream until this moment when it was finally proven real. "_Regina_." Her composure cracked and she pulled the older woman's mouth to hers as tears streamed freely from her eyes.

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Regina closed her eyes, savouring the feeling. Emma's naked body was draped across hers, their skin still sweaty from the bedroom activities they'd been immersed in for the better part of the afternoon. The blonde, even now, was still pressing kisses lazily to the skin on her throat and shoulder.

"I love you Regina."

Regina felt her heart leap in response to the blonde's words. She had a feeling it would never stop stuttering every time she heard those words fall from Emma's lips. "And I love you, my precious Emma." She ran her fingers through blonde waves.

Emma stopped kissing her skin in favour of resting her head in the crook of the older woman's neck. She was silent for so long that Regina knew she must have fallen asleep, until a hand caressing her hip proved she'd assumed wrong. "Do we _have to_ go back?"

Regina halted the hand running through golden locks and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Emma bit her bottom lip as she lifted her head to look into Regina's eyes. "What would happen if we… stayed here?"

Regina frowned, the hand that had been running through the blonde's hair coming around to caress her cheek. "You want to stay in this world?"

Emma nodded. "This is home to me. I didn't grow up in that world. If it's where you want to be, then I will gladly go back with you and we can live out the rest of our days in your castle, or with my parents, or even in a tree house Swiss Family Robinson style for all I care. But if there's a part of you that feels like you belong here, then let's stay."

"And what of Henry?"

"Henry's a grown man, heir to the throne in my absence. He doesn't remember me, and anything I could have taught him about life revolves around **this** world, not that one. I'd just be a presence in his life, my time to be a mother to him is long over. It was over the second we put him in that wardrobe."

Regina thought on it for a moment before realizing she had to agree with Emma. Henry was no longer their little boy. Even if he did somehow manage to regain his memories, there was still a huge part of his life that they'd missed and he was a man grown. He was about to **marry**! She ran her thumb gently across Emma's cheek as she gazed into green eyes. She knew in her heart that her choice had been made the second she drank the contents of that vial. "You realize that, when Peyton opens the portal that will take us back… if we _ignore_ the magic… we may never have that chance again?"

Emma nodded, her eyes having no trace of doubt.

Finally Regina nodded. What did she have to go back to? Now that Rumpelstiltskin was dead, his spell could not be undone. No one would remember her deeds, her very identity there was forfeit. Emma hated being a Princess and the expectation and standards that came with nobility. They'd both be happier here. "My only desire is to spend forever with you, where we spend it is of little consequence."

Emma leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss. Finally she pulled away. "Forever sounds perfect."

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Peyton stared out the window, a thoughtful expression on her pretty face. It was her wedding day. Today, she was to become a Princess, and one day, she would be Queen of the Enchanted Forest. It seemed crazy to her that less than a year ago, she had been just a villager, in love with a boy. Now she spent her days practicing magic and taking lessons from the Queen on how to be a proper noble. It was exhausting trying to memorize all the rules but she found that the sparkle in Snow's eyes was worth the annoyance. Snow had never gotten the opportunity to be a mother to her own daughter and it was obvious it was a role she was made for. And Peyton herself had never had a mother to speak of, so they fit the missing roles in each others' lives well.

It had been three long months since she'd done the spell to open the portal to the other world. She'd nearly lost her life in the attempt, it had drained her strength quickly. But no one had come through. Snow had collapsed in a fit of tears, her hopes of having her daughter back instantly dashed. The Queen had not noticed the letter that fell through the magical void just moments before Peyton became unable to sustain the portal any longer. It had been addressed to Peyton, so she'd scooped it into the folds of her skirts before the Queen could take notice.

Once she was in the privacy of her chambers, she read Regina's final words. She had successfully located the Princess. But they would not be returning. It had broken her heart and she'd cried for days, the other nobles just assuming it was her grief over the spell failing. But it hadn't failed, they'd just chosen not to return. Regina entrusted her with the secret, stating Snow, James, and Henry must never know. It would surely break their heart to know that Emma had made this choice. She'd had Snow create another glass coffin for Regina, such as the one Emma resided in, just in case, one day, they might have need to come back.

A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Snow White standing in the doorway, in a light green gown that brought out her eyes. She looked grand, just like a Queen.

"They're waiting for you Princess."

Peyton nodded and moved from the window. "A Princess never makes her true love wait." She took Snow White's offered arm and let the Queen lead her down towards the Great Hall and her waiting Prince, the whole time sending her silent thanks across worlds to the two women who had blessed her with him.

And if one took her vacated position by the window they would look down onto two graves by the edge of the sea, the conclusion to the fairytale of the Swan Princess and her true love.


End file.
